The Little Runaway
by maxandkiz
Summary: Eight year old Sammy runs away after an argument with his dad. Written for the SFTCOLARS Theme Challenge. Warning: strong language and some violence.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

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Eight year old Sammy Winchester sat at the kitchen table with his homework spread out in front of him. He silently read his last math problem: "45 people are on the city bus. When it stops, 23 people get off and then 34 people get on. How many people are on the bus now?" Smiling he quickly wrote out the problem and the answer. He didn't know why the other kids in his class thought math was so hard. It was way too easy! He liked figuring out Dean's math problems. They were more challenging and a lot more fun than his. Closing his book Sammy carefully stuffed all his books and papers back in his book bag before taking it into the living room and setting it by the front door for the next morning. Walking back into the kitchen he noticed Dean diligently working on his own math homework. Intrigued Sammy tiptoed up behind his big brother and glanced over his shoulder.

Dean was struggling with his last few math problems. His teacher had given the class the task of solving the problems showing all their work and then writing how they came to that conclusion. He wasn't having trouble figuring the problems out. He knew the right answers. He just couldn't explain how he got the answer. Even if he could he knew the teacher would not be happy with his reasoning because he didn't use any of those formulas she was so fond of. Peering up at the clock he noticed that it was almost time for their dad to be home. Knowing that he needed to start dinner in a hurry, Dean decided he would just write the answers and if his teacher didn't like it that was just tough. He quickly scribbled the answers on his paper, slammed his book shut, and threw them both in his book bag ignoring his little brother's objections. "Sorry Sammy. I've gotta put my stuff away so I can start dinner. Dad will be home soon." Dean informed him as he carried his bag to the door and dropped it next to Sam's.

"Can I help?" Sammy called. "Please, Dean?"

"Don't need any help, Sammy." Dean told him as he began taking out the pots and pans he would need. "Why don't you go watch TV or something?"

"But I wanna help!" Sammy whined staring at his brother with the most pitiful look he could muster.

Already irritated Dean lashed out without thinking. "I said No! No go park your butt on the couch or I'll do it for you!"

"Fine!" Sammy shouted back as he stomped into the other room and threw himself on the couch. He snatched the remote control off the side table and started flipping through the channels. Finding an old documentary show on he lay back on the couch to watch and was asleep in minutes.

John Winchester climbed out of the impala and headed for the door to what had become his home over the last several months. He hated to leave this place behind but there were no more hunts anywhere nearby. He'd already called Jim and gotten a lead on a new hunt eight hours away in Georgia. He figured he'd let the boys finish out the week and then they would pack up and hit the road. Opening the front door John schooled his expression getting ready for the hardest part of leaving: telling his boys. Walking into the living room he saw his youngest sleeping on the couch remote still in his hand. John reached over and carefully took the remote out of Sam's hand and placed it on the table. Throwing his jacket on the back of his chair he strolled into the kitchen to find his oldest busy with dinner. "Hey, Dean. Need some help?" he offered.

Looking at his dad Dean smiled. "No thanks. It's almost ready. But you can set the table if you want since Sammy's sleeping through his job."

Grabbing the plates and cups from the cabinet John set them on the table before getting the silverware out of the drawer by the sink. Table set he walked over to the stove placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. "I'll get this Dean. You go wake your brother and both of you wash up." He ordered.

"Yes sir" Dean responded already heading to the living room.

Sammy bounded into the kitchen and settled in his usual chair glad to have his dad home. Still stinging from Dean's earlier outburst Sammy focused on his father telling him in great detail about his day at school in between bites of chicken and potatoes.

John listened patiently to Sammy's story feeling worse seeing the joy on his son's face. When Sammy finally finished his tale, John set his fork down. _"Might as well get it over with."_ He thought. Clearing his throat to get the boys' attention he began. "Boys, we're leaving Saturday for Georgia. You need to go ahead and pack up anything you don't need. I want to get an early start Saturday morning."

Sammy's fork dropped to the ground with a clatter. "We can't leave dad! We've only got two more weeks in school! I have field day next week and you promised to come watch me run the races!"

"Wait a minute Sammy. I never promised that!" John calmly stated.

"Yes you did!" Sammy accused. "I asked you to come last week and you said "we'll see.""

"Sammy, we'll see means he'll try. It doesn't mean he'll go." Dean piped up attempting to defuse the situation.

"But what about my report card! If we leave Saturday, I won't get my report card and I got all A's!" Sammy hollered crossing his arms.

John took a deep breath. Trying hard to control his anger he ground out, "I'll get your report card before we leave, okay, Sammy?"

"But…but?" Sammy stammered tear-filled eyes looking to Dean for help.

Dean stared at Sammy wondering why a report card was so important to the kid. Then it hit him. Turning to his dad he said, "It's not the report card, dad. The kids who get all A's all year get a free ticket to Disney World."

John glanced at his youngest and said, "That's what this is all about? A stupid ticket? Sammy, we don't have the money for a place like that and even if we did, I wouldn't spend it on some kiddie park."

Jumping out of his chair Sammy fired back, "It is not a kiddie park. It's the best place ever! They have rides and parades and fireworks and everything!"

"Samuel Winchester that's enough!" John bellowed. "If you're going to act like a two year old, I'm going to treat you like one. Go take a bath and go straight to bed!"

"I hate you!" Sammy shouted as he stomped toward the living room.

Letting his anger get the better of him John said the first thing that came to mind. "Well sometimes I don't like you too much either."

Sammy stood staring at his dad for a moment before fleeing down the hall and to the safety of his room.

"Shit!" John yelled as he realized what he had just said. Looking over at Dean he started working on damage control. "Dean, you know I didn't mean that. I was just angry."

"I know. I'll go talk to him." Dean said getting out of his chair. "You know dad, I'm getting a ticket, too. You could use my ticket and take Sammy. I'm too old to go anyway."

"Thanks Dean but no. We really have to leave Saturday. Pastor Jim already has an important hunt lined up for me." John told him. "I'd take you guys if I could. You do know that, right?"

"Of course, dad." Dean said glancing down the hall as he heard Sammy start the bath water. "Don't worry about Sammy. I'll get everything straightened out after he finishes his bath." Dean set about clearing the table. He watched his dad walk into the other room and sit in front of the TV. _"How am I gonna fix this one?"_ he wondered as he stacked the dishes in the sink.

Sammy sat on the side of the tub and turned on the faucet. He angrily swiped at the tears that were falling as he headed to his room. Knowing the sound of water would give him some extra time he sat down on his bed and grabbed a piece of paper and pencil off the dresser. He had known that his dad didn't like him as much as Dean but he didn't know he hated him until tonight. Thinking back over the last few months Sammy decided he should have figured it out already. He wasn't allowed to go on the school trip to the zoo but Dean had been able to go on an overnight trip with his class. Sammy never got to sit in the front or pick the music but Dean did both of those things all the time. Dean even got to go on weekend trips with dad while Sam was left with Jim or Bobby or whoever else his dad could dump him on. Well if daddy didn't need or want him, he'd find someone who did. Looking down at his paper Sammy started writing a note to Dean.

Dean waited and listened. When he heard the bedroom door shut, he glanced at the clock making a note of the time. Thirty minutes later he got up and headed for the back bedroom to talk to his little brother. Thinking of the best way to approach the situation he hesitated at the door before knocking and calling Sammy's name. When he was answered with silence, he opened the door and peeked inside expecting to see Sammy lying on his bed. His stomach clinched when he took in the empty bed and room. Rushing inside he immediately started searching for his brother. After a through search of the room turned up nothing, he headed for the door stopping as he noticed the piece of paper on his pillow. Dreading what he was about to see he snatched the paper and sat on the end of the bed. His heart broke as he read the note.

Dean,

Daddy doesn't love me anymore so I'm leaving. I know you'd say he didn't mean it and that he was just mad. But you're wrong and I can prove it. Daddy stayed home on your birthday and we went to the movies and to eat at your favorite restaurant. He wasn't even home on my birthday and when he did get back, he never even said "happy birthday". And what about all the trips you and daddy go on without me. Daddy never takes me anywhere by myself. And he lied to me tonight. He said he couldn't wait two more weeks to leave. But remember he changed his mind at the last town. We were supposed to leave that town at Thanksgiving but he let us stay until Christmas so you could go to that dance. He even bought you a suit and a flower for that girl. He didn't even say it was stupid or anything. But for me he can't even wait two weeks. Told you he doesn't like me. I'm going now. Don't worry about me.

I love you,

Sammy


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

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Dean raced down the hall with Sam's note clutched in his hand. Sliding to a stop next to the couch he yelled, "Dad! Sammy's gone! He ran away! We've gotta go find him before something gets him!" With that Dean headed for the door intent on going out and finding his wayward little brother.

John rolled his eyes as he watched his oldest son. Walking over he grabbed Dean by the shoulder and spun him around. "Calm down Dean! You know Sammy better than that. He's probably hiding in one of the rooms pouting 'cause he didn't get his way. The brat will come out and apologize when he realizes he isn't going to get his way."

Dean held his arms tightly by his sides and glared at his father. He'd never wanted to hit someone more in his life but he knew that wouldn't help Sammy. "Sammy's not somewhere pouting and he's not a brat. He's gone dad and it's all your fault." Dean shouted as he thrust the note in John's face. "He left this for me. Go ahead. Read it."

John stared at Sammy's neat handwriting trying hard to ignore the tear stains he saw on the paper. He leaned against the wall and began reading his son's note. As he read his expression quickly changed from anger to regret and finally to sorrow. Sliding down the wall he reread the note hoping he'd just misread it the first time. Tears formed in his eyes as he took in the cold hard truth. _"My baby boy thinks I hate him."_ He thought.

Dean watched as his dad sat staring at the note. When he saw the tears running down his father's face, he didn't know what to do. He'd only seen his dad cry once after his mom died. But Sammy wasn't dead, he was missing and they needed to find him fast. Stepping over to his dad Dean reached down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dad? Dad! C'mon dad, we've gotta go find Sammy!" he hollered. When his dad didn't respond, Dean shook his father's shoulders and begged, "Please, dad? I can't do it by myself."

John looked up at Dean's pleading and locked eyes with his eldest son. Seeing the hurt in his son's eyes broke through John's depression. He didn't have time to sit and grieve. He needed to be strong for both his boys now. Pulling himself together John stood up, grabbed his keys, and stomped to the door. "Come on Dean. Let's go get that brother of yours back. He and I need to have a long talk."

Sammy ran until he made it to the park a few blocks away. Hiding in the bushes by the entrance he sat down to think. Pulling an m&m bag out of his backpack he ripped it open and poured several in his hand before folding the bag and carefully setting it back in his bag. He'd have to ration his food for awhile since he hadn't been able to get to the kitchen before he left. He only had a couple of m&m's and a bag of chips that he'd taken from Dean's hidden stash and he knew those wouldn't last long. _"Okay, so I need to find more food and water" _Sammy thought. Hearing thunder in the distance he added, _"And I definitely need a place to stay." _Thinking over all the places he'd been the last few months he considered his options. _"I can't go to Joey's. That'll be the first place they look. I could go to our secret hideout. Nah, Dean knows about that one." _Sammy's thoughts were interrupted by the familiar rumble of the impala's engine. Curling himself into a ball he sat statue still hoping that the impala's headlights wouldn't reveal his position. Sam breathed a sigh of relief as the car past right by his hiding place. He stayed still until he could no longer hear the engine's roar. Knowing he had to make a fast getaway, Sammy's thoughts went into overdrive. _"Okay somewhere safe where there's water and maybe food. Ummm, ummm, I've got it! Amy's play house! It's perfect!"_ Sammy thought as he pictured Joey's older sister's play house. It had been built to look exactly like their real house. It was only one big room but it had a kitchen with running water and a small couch he could sleep on. Best of all Amy never used it anymore so no one would ever find him there. Plan made Sammy glanced around the street and surrounding areas. Once he was sure no one was around he stepped out of the bushes and raced towards Joey's house.

John and Dean drove the streets in silence each staring out the window searching for any sign of their missing family member. As he rode Dean thought about the things Sammy had pointed out in his letter. He had to hand it to his little brother. The kid had some valid points. One point in particular was driving Dean nuts. Screwing up his courage he took a deep breath and asked his dad. "Dad, can I ask you something about what Sammy said in his note?" Getting no response he kept talking. "I mean, I know you love him dad. And I understand why you let me sit in the front and pick the music sometimes. It's 'cause I'm the oldest and 'cause Sammy always falls asleep in the car and its safer and more comfortable for him to sleep in the back seat. And those weekends we're gone, we're hunting and you don't take him 'cause he's still too little to know about that stuff. But what about the dance? Why didn't we leave at Thanksgiving, dad?"

John's knuckles turned white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened at the question. He'd been hoping Dean wouldn't ask about that. Deciding his son deserved an answer John kept his gaze out the window as he began his story. "Your mother and I met at a Christmas dance, Dean. She looked so stunning standing there in her red dress talking and laughing with her friends. It took me a while but I finally got up the courage to ask her to dance and we ended up dancing the rest of the night. We went to every Christmas dance after that. Even after we were married, she insisted on going as chaperones. The last time we went she took you with us. You were almost four and you looked so cute in your little tux. Your mom somehow managed to take a maternity dress and change it into the most elegant evening gown I've ever seen. She was so happy. She spent the night dancing with you and telling you about how special your first dance would be. When you asked about going, all those memories came back and I just couldn't say no. It's what your mom wanted for you."

Dean blinked back tears as he listened to his dad talk about their mom. Images of streamers, music, and his mom smiling and dancing floated through his mind as he listened. Smiling at the memories Dean turned to his dad. "Thanks dad." He whispered.

Sammy snuck across Joey's backyard and ducked into the play house. Throwing his bag on the floor he walked over to the kitchen and turned the faucet handle. Frowning at the lack of water Sammy turned both handles this way and that but it was no use. The sink didn't work anymore. Sammy debated whether of not he should risk going back out to get a drink from the hose. Hot and thirsty from his run he decided it was worth the risk and walked back out and headed for the hose at the side of the house. Turning it on just enough to get a trickle of water he stood and slurped up a mouthful of the wonderfully cold water before turning it back off. Thirst quenched he headed back to the play house to get some sleep. He had a long day ahead of him. Sammy had only taken a few steps when he heard a growling noise behind him. He slowly turned around and saw a huge dog baring its teeth and snarling at him. _"Oh shit! Sampson!"_ he thought as he spun around and raced for the play house.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- He slowly turned around and saw a huge dog baring its teeth and snarling at him. _"Oh shit! Sampson!"_ he thought as he spun around and raced for the play house.

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John and Dean had been driving around town for an hour and there was still no sign of the youngest Winchester. Frustrated John decided they needed to try a different approach. Turning the impala back onto their street he said, "Let's head home. The thunder and lightning might have scared him into going back to the house. He could be there wondering where we are."

Dean shook his head as he continued to stare out his window. "I don't think so dad. He's really upset this time. I don't think the storm will stop him. He'll just find somewhere safe to wait it out."

"Maybe so, Dean but driving around isn't getting us anywhere. The kid always has been good at hide and seek." John reminded him as he pulled in their driveway. "Let's check the house just in case. Then we'll start calling his friends. Hopefully he's safe at a one of their houses."

Dean and John climbed out of the car and quickly walked up the steps and into the house hoping their missing family member was safe inside.

Sammy ran as fast as he could toward the safety of the play house attempting to call the dog off as he ran. "Sampson, it's me Sammy!" he threw over his shoulder but the angry dog continued his pursuit gaining on the little boy. Sammy almost cheered as he got a few feet from the playhouse. _"I'm gonna make it!"_ he thought. As he reached out to grab the door knob, Sampson lunged at him and the dog's sharp teeth clamped down on Sammy's arm holding it in a vice like grip. Sammy screamed at the sudden sharp pain in his arm! Using his left hand he grabbed Sampson's snout and was trying to pry his mouth off when the dog let go. Falling backwards on his behind Sammy stared up at the dog who was now sitting wagging his tail. When Sampson raised one paw and "waved" at Sammy, he smiled. "Great now you remember me." He groaned as he petted the dog. Looking down Sammy swallowed hard as he took in the damage Sampson's teeth at done. There were several deep gashes that were oozing blood. "Damn, Sampson. I know you like playing with me but I'm not one of your chew toys." Sammy told the dog as he stood back up. Glancing down he saw the dog was now busy licking himself. "Gross!" he stated making a face before looking back down at his arm. "Please tell me you didn't do that before you bit me. C'mon. I've gotta wash this off." Sammy started back to the hose to wash the bite off.

After a search of the house John had to admit that Dean was right. Sammy wasn't coming back on his own. Sitting down at the kitchen table with Dean, John set the phone in front of him and stared with disgust at the number in his hand. He'd rather face an army of Wendigoes than call old hateful. Knowing he had no choice John screwed up his courage. "I'm going to call Joey's house and see if he's there." He informed Dean.

"Don't call that b-, I mean witch, dad! You know she'll just cause trouble. The old bat probably has CPS on speed dial." Dean complained.

Smirking at his son John said, "I don't like it any better than you do Dean. But I have to call to make sure he's not there. Now while I'm talking to Ursula, I want you to stand right here and"

"The Little Mermaid?" Dean interrupted grinning. "Something you wanna tell me dad?"

"Shut up, Dean." John fired back turning beet red as Dean doubled over laughing. "Sammy wanted to see it, okay. It's not like. . . Hey, wait a minute! How did you know who that was?"

"I umm" Dean stammered.

"You what, Dean?" John prodded.

"Okay, okay, Sammy made me watch it, too." Dean confessed looking down at his shoes. "Can we go back to finding Sammy now?"

"Alright Dean. Now I have to be careful talking to Joey's mom. I don't want to give her a reason to call anyone on us. So come stand right here by me. I want you to listen in on the conversation and if you think I'm about to say something bad, I want you to kick me hard." John explained. "Got it?"

Dean's eyes lit up at the prospect of kicking his dad. "Kick you if I think you're gonna say something ugly. Got it, dad."

John picked up the phone and started dialing. As he punched the last number he felt a sharp pain in his calf. "Dean!" he shouted.

"Just reminding you to be nice, dad" Dean answered grinning mischievously.

Shaking his head John returned his attention to the phone. "Mrs. Brooks? This is John Winchester. Yes, ma'am, I know what time it is. Mrs. Brooks? I understand but. . .Yes, but. . .Would you just. . .? I really need. . ." John increased his death grip on the table as the woman droned on and on. Finally he'd had enough. "Mrs. Brooks shut the hell up and listen!" he shouted groaning when he felt the kick on his leg. "Now that I have your attention, I need to know if you've seen Sammy. He got angry with me and ran away. Is he there? . . . No need for that. I've already informed the police and they're out looking for him now. They wanted me to check with his friends. . . Of course I know who his friends are! . . . Listen up, bitch! My boys may not have expensive clothes, all the latest toys, and servants who wait on them hand and foot but they are loved and very well taken care! . . . Go ahead! Call'em! I don't have anything to hide. . . If I find out you're keeping Sammy from me, I'll cut you into little pieces and feed them to your guard dog!" John hollered before slamming the phone down and rubbing his now aching leg.

"Boy dad you sure know how to sweet talk the ladies." Dean joked.

"Guess I got a little carried away, huh?" John asked as he attempted to calm down.

"Oh yeah" Dean replied. "She gonna call CPS?"

"Definitely" John stated running a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry dad. They won't find anything." Dean comforted.

"I know, Dean. But you boys shouldn't have to be put through that." John told him as he once again picked up the phone. "Guess I better call the police and get them looking for Sammy. Last thing we need is for that old witch to catch me in a lie."

Sammy had only taken a couple of steps toward the house when the downstairs lights came on. Not wanting to be seen he tip toed back to the playhouse and went inside. Cleaning the bite would have to wait. He watched out the window as Joey's mom walked around the living room. He gasped when he saw her throw the phone against the wall. He'd never seen her that mad before. When she walked over to the glass patio doors, Sammy ducked down and held his breath. He heard the doors open and Joey's mom call Sampson. Seconds later he heard the sound of the doors closing. He crawled over to the couch and sat down relieved that she hadn't seen him. He knew he didn't want to face her when she was angry. He'd seen what she had done to Joey and Amy when she was mad. Sammy looked up as he heard rain beginning to hit the roof. Looking down at his still bleeding arm he had an idea. He walked over and opened the door a little bit. Sticking his arm out the door he sighed as the rain hit his arm easing the sting of the bite. Sammy stood like that for several minutes letting the rain wash the blood off his arm. He jumped as a streak of lightning lit up the sky in front of him. Slamming the door shut he raced to the couch jumping when he heard a loud clap of thunder. Sitting on the couch Sammy pulled his knees up and hugged them to his chest. "I wish Dean was here." He thought as thunder sounded again. Snatching the throw off the back of the couch he placed it around himself. Setting his head down on his knees he pulled the throw tighter. Soon only the top of his head was visible. Sammy sat on the couch rocking himself and softly singing the song Dean always sang to him when he was scared. _"I wanna go home." _He thought miserably as the storm raged on.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- Sammy sat on the couch rocking himself and softly singing the song Dean always sang to him when he was scared. _"I wanna go home." _He thought miserably as the storm raged on.

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Hearing a car pull into the driveway John walked over to the door firing last minute instructions to Dean. "Let me do all the talking unless they ask you a question. Then give the shortest answer you can. And watch your language, Dean. I don't want to give CPS anymore ammo against us."

"I know dad. You don't have to worry about me." Dean assured. Feeling the tension radiating from his father Dean decided to lighten the mood before they let the cops inside. "Hey dad? Want me to kick you so you won't let anything slip?"

A chuckle escaped from John's mouth. "Funny, Dean." Grabbing the door knob John released a breath. "Here goes nothing." He said as he opened the door.

"Mr. Winchester?" one of the police officers asked.

"Yeah. Come on in." John replied leading the officers to the living room and sitting on the arm of the chair Dean was occupying. "And please call me John."

"Okay John. I'm Officer Keaton and this is Officer Arbuckle." Officer Keaton informed them. Eyeing Dean he asked, "Is this the missing boy?"

"No. Dean is my oldest son. It's my youngest, Sammy that's missing." John said.

Dean rolled his eyes as both policemen sat down at the exact same time. He had to quickly smother a laugh as one of the men got his hand caught in his jacket while attempting to get his pen and notepad out. _"Great! We've got the keystone cops looking for Sammy."_ He thought.

"Now Mr., I mean John we're going to need some information." Officer Arbuckle stated.

"_Duh!"_ Dean mentally yelled placing a hand over his mouth and kicking himself to keep from saying his thoughts out loud.

"Could you tell us what happened tonight with your son?" Officer Keaton asked once he got his hand unstuck. "Any idea why he ran away?"

"I told the boys that I'd found a better job in another state and that we'd be moving over the weekend. Sammy wanted to stay and finish the school year out. When I told him we couldn't stay, he got angry and ran to his room. I gave him some time to calm down and then I sent his brother to talk to him. But Sammy was already gone." John explained.

"Why did you send Dean to talk to him?" Officer Keaton asked. "Why didn't you go?"

"I'm not very good at talking to Sammy. I think we're too much alike. The older he gets the more we seem to butt heads about things. But Dean has a way of getting through to his brother. Usually he can talk to Sammy for a few minutes and everything's alright again." John revealed.

Feeling another drop of rain hit his head Sammy grabbed his blanket and book bag and moved to the floor in front of the couch. Leaning back he cringed as lightning lit up the sky once more. The accompanying boom of thunder shook the playhouse. _"Shit! That hit something!" _Sammy thought moments before he heard a crash. Worry for his friend sent Sammy rushing to the window to look out. Another flash of lightning revealed a tree lying on top of what used to be Joey's swing set. Relieved to see his friend's home unharmed he smiled. Seeing the lights come on in the main house Sam hurried back to his spot by the couch. He didn't want to see Mrs. Brooks' anger when she saw the damage. Once was more than enough for him. So Sammy sat down and pulled his knees back up to his chest. Picking up his flashlight he set it up between his feet and turned it on. He then wrapped the blanket around himself once more covering the flashlight beam so it couldn't be seen outside. Reaching into his bag he grabbed his old stuffed dog and hugged it tightly. Holding onto the dog and blanket with one hand he stuck the thumb of his other hand in his mouth letting the comfort of that childhood habit calm his nerves.

Back at the house the questioning continued.

"What about his friends? Have you checked with them?" Officer Keaton quizzed.

"Yes, I have and most of them said they haven't seen him. I couldn't get a straight answer from one of his friend's mothers. She said she was glad he had run off and that she wouldn't tell me even if she did see him." John ground out.

"Which friend is that sir?" the officer asked.

"Joey Brooks's mother" John informed them.

"You don't mean Mrs. Alicia "Don't you know who I am" Brooks, do you?" Officer Arbuckle groaned. At John's nod, the officer added, "Crap! I hate dealing with her."

"Just a few more questions sir." Officer Keaton said elbowing his partner into silence. "We'll need a physical description of your son, a recent photo if you have one, and we need to know what he was wearing when he left."

"Sure. Sammy's eight. He has a mop of brown hair and brown eyes and he's about this tall." John recalled holding his hand up to Dean's shoulder. "Here's his school picture."

"Thanks. What was he wearing the last time you saw him?" Officer Keaton inquired.

"Umm, let's see. He had on his blue jeans and white sneakers and a green t-shirt." John stated.

"What shade of green is it?" the other officer questioned.

"Shade? I told you its green!" John huffed out.

"I understand that sir." The officer calmly replied. "But what shade of green is it? Light, dark?"

"I don't know. Medium I guess." John muttered before turning to Dean. "What's the name of the green on your brother's shirt, Dean?"

"Its army green, dad." Dean said smirking up at his father.

"Of course it is" John grumbled. Need anything else?"

"No that's all for now John. We'll put the word out to every car in the city to be on the look out for him. We'll even send someone to talk to Mrs. Brooks for you." Officer Keaton informed them. "You two stay here and wait. We'll call you as soon as we know anything." With that the two officers walked out the door and into the storm.

"Dad? We're not really gonna just sit here and wait, are we?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Not a chance." John said watching the police car pull out of his driveway and head off down the street. "Give'em two minutes to drive off. Then we'll head out to look for Sammy."

Mrs. Brooks threw the door open. "Do you have any idea what time it is officers?" she screeched.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am but we're searching for the missing Winchester boy. His father said you refused to tell him if the boy was here or not. Is that true?" Officer Harding questioned.

"It most certainly is not! I haven't even spoken to Mr. Winchester." Mrs. Brooks lied. "You say young Samuel's missing? How terrible! Can't say I'm surprised though."

"Why's that, Mrs. Brooks?" the officer asked pulling his notebook and pen out of his jacket.

"Well that man's rarely ever home. He leaves those boys home alone all the time. And when he is home, he's drinking." She recounted smiling inwardly as the officer scribbled in his pad. "I've been very concerned about those two boys. Samuel has come over with a black eye and a broken arm. He said he got in a fight at school but I don't believe it for a minute. His dad did that. I'm sure of it. I even told my Joey that he can't go play at Samuel's house because it's not safe."

"Thank you for the information Mrs. Brooks and sorry I disturbed you so late." The officer apologized as he walked down the front steps.

"That's alright, officer. I hope you find young Samuel and do something about his father. He's not fit to have children." Mrs. Brooks called after the officer.

Shutting the door Mrs. Brooks' sweet smile changed. A look of fury crossed her face. "How dare he!" she screamed.

Raised voices woke Sammy from a sound sleep. Opening his eyes and finding himself on the floor Sammy glanced around the room trying to recall where he was. Memories of his fight with dad, running away, and the storm came rushing back. Placing his hands down he pushed up only to feel a sharp pain in his right arm. Looking down at the dog bite he noticed that it was swollen and red. _"I've gotta take care of that today."_ He thought as he carefully inspected the bite. He then sat up groaning as his body decided to let him know that sleeping on a hard floor didn't agree with it. He took a few minutes to stretch and get the kinks out of his back and neck before standing and walking to the window. Peering out he could see Mr. and Mrs. Brooks in a very animated conversation about the damaged swing set. Not wanting to be caught by a very agitated Mrs. Brooks Sammy made his way back to the couch and sat down. Reaching into his book bag he pulled out the m&m's and settled down to breakfast. While he ate he thought about what to do next. His first order of business was to find a bathroom. Deciding to wait until the Brooks had left Sammy stood by the window and watched. After Mrs. Brooks pulled out he counted to one hundred and then made his way to the kitchen door of the main house. Knocking on the door he patiently waited for the door to open. "Hi Maria. Can I come. . ." the rest of his question was cut off as Maria grabbed him up in a hug.

"Sammy! Where have you been? Everybody's been looking for you!" Maria told him.

Embarrassed Sammy gazed down at his shoes and apologized, "Sorry Maria. I didn't mean to make you worry about me."

Lifting up Sammy's chin to make him face her Maria smiled and said, "Its okay honey. I'm just glad you're alright. Now what are you doing here?"

"Well I was kinda hoping I could use your bathroom?" Sammy asked shyly.

"Go ahead honey." Maria replied. "But when you come out, we're calling your father to come get you. Deal?"

"Deal!" Sammy called as he dashed to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom he quickly did his business. Walking to the sink he washed his hands before gently cleaning the bite. Knowing he needed to use antiseptic he searched through the drawers and cabinets but came up empty handed. _"Guess I'll have to ask Maria." _He thought as he closed the last cabinet. After drying off his arm Sammy headed to the kitchen. He had a call to make.

AN- Anybody know where I got the names of the two cops?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- After drying off his arm Sammy headed to the kitchen. He had a call to make.

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"Maria!" Sammy called as he walked back into the kitchen. "Do you have. . .?"

"The phone's on the counter, Sammy. Call your dad." Maria interrupted.

"But I just. . ." Sammy stammered.

"Oh no you don't. We had a deal. Pick up that phone and call your dad right now young man." Maria ordered as she set a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of Sam. "This is for after you talk to your father." Maria walked over and started washing the dishes.

Sammy stared at the phone. He really didn't want to talk to his dad right now. He would just make Sam come home and then he'd be forced to move whether he wanted to or not. Casting a glance at Maria Sammy sighed. He had promised to call. _"But I didn't promise to go home." _Sammy thought smiling as he picked up the phone and quickly dialed the number. As he listened to the ringing he steeled himself against the guilt trip his dad was sure to try to force on him. His smile soon disappeared as the phone continued to ring. After the tenth ring, Sammy set the phone back down disappointed that his dad wasn't even home. "Nobody's home, Maria." He whispered.

Maria walked over and placed an arm around Sammy's shoulders. "They're probably out looking for you sweetie. Your dad was really upset last night from what I heard. I bet he's been out all night searching for you. Now you go ahead and eat your breakfast and then we'll try again. Okay?"

"Okay" Sammy said as he picked up his fork and stared at his plate. "Maria, do you really think my dad misses me?"

"Of course he does, sweetheart. Why do you ask?" Maria questioned as she took a seat beside the little boy.

"Last night he said. . . he said he didn't like me." Sammy confessed.

"Was that when you and your dad were fighting, Sammy?" Maria asked. Seeing Sam nod his head she let out a sigh. "Sammy, your daddy didn't mean that. When people have a fight, they say a lot of hurtful things that they don't really mean. They're just mad. I remember getting so angry at my mama once that I told her I hated her." Noticing Sam's wince at those words she smiled and said, "I didn't mean it for a second and I'm sure you didn't either."

Sammy looked up at Maria with wide eyes. "How did you know I said that?"

"Just a guess. You don't hate your dad, do you?" she asked.

"No, he just makes me so mad sometimes. He never listens to me, never cares about what I want only what him and Dean want. If Dean had asked to stay, dad would have said okay. But I ask to stay, and I get called stupid." Sammy explained as his hurt and anger returned.

"Is that what this is about Sammy? You think you dad loves your brother more than you?" Maria gasped. "I'm sure that's not true, baby."

"It is too!" Sammy yelled. "Dean asked to stay at the last house so daddy put off his new job and we stayed for three more weeks! I wanted to stay here but dad said his new job was more important!"

"Oh, honey! I'm so sorry. How about if I talk to him?" Maria offered. "Bet I can get things straightened out." _"Even if I have to use a baseball bat to knock some sense into his fool head." _She mentally added.

Sammy thought for a minute before turning to his friend puppy eyes filled with hope. "You really think you could?"

"Sure I can. Your dad won't know what hit him." She bragged. "Now you go ahead and eat. We'll deal with your dad later." Standing up Maria ruffled Sammy's hair before going back to the sink to finish the dishes.

Dean race into the house and ran over to grab the ringing phone. "Hello? Hello?" he called into the receiver.

Walking in the house John noticed Dean replacing the phone. "Dean, who was that? Was it Sammy?" he quizzed.

"I don't know dad. They hung up before I could answer." Dean informed his father. "Why did we come back home anyway. We need to be out there looking for Sammy. He's been gone all night."

John ran a tired hand across his face. "I know that Dean but running ourselves ragged isn't going to help him. I'm going to check in with the police and than we're going to the diner down the street to get some breakfast." Seeing Dean about to interrupt John held up his hand and ordered, "No arguments, Dean. Go wash up and be ready to go in five minutes."

"Yes sir" Dean responded. Shoulder slumped he started for the bathroom stopping when his father called out.

"Don't worry Dean. We'll find him." John comforted. "Remember we're two of the best hunters out there.

"I know dad." Dean replied smiling at his dad. Squaring his shoulders Dean marched to the bathroom eyes filled with determination.

Four minutes later John and Dean trudged out the door to the waiting impala. Pulling out of the driveway they never heard the phone begin to ring.

Hanging up the phone Sammy looked forlornly at Maria. "They're still not home."

Seeing the woebegone look Maria attempted to lighten the mood. "Okay sweetie. We'll try again later." Looking Sammy over Maria put her hand on her chin. "Hmmm"

"What is it, Maria?" Sammy asked.

"Oh, I was just trying to decide if I should have you go upstairs to take a bath or just take you outside and hose you down." Maria told him laughing at the look of shock on Sammy's face.

Looking down at his dirty, rumbled clothes Sammy had to smile. "Guess I do look kinda rough."

"Kinda? Sammy Winchester, you look like a drowned rat." Maria declared grinning at the youngster. "Go on up to Joey's room and get a quick shower. I'll lay some clothes on the bed for you to put on after. Now go before I change my mind and get the hose."

"Thanks Maria" Sammy called as he headed up the stairs to his friend's room.

John and Dean walked into the diner and sat in a booth. Seeing Officers Keaton and Arbuckle come in John waved them over. "Thanks for coming to help on your day off, guys."

"No problem, Mr., I mean John" Officer Keaton said. "We're happy to do it. Besides after what Mrs. Brooks told one of our officers last night, you need someone to back you up."

"Why? What did that witch say?" John questioned.

"Oh, the usual. You never called her about Sammy. You're a drunk who doesn't take care of his kids and hits them whenever you feel like it." Officer Arbuckle informed them. "Don't worry. We don't believe a word of it. But there are some officers on the force that think she's one of the pillars of the community and they will believe it. That's why we came. If she says anything else about you, and she will, we'll be able to back up your story and prove she's lying."

"In other words, they sent you to watch me." John spit out.

"No one sent us. We came to help and if we're able to put that old bat in her place while we're at it, that'll be an added bonus." Officer Keaton explained. "Now how about we get something to eat so we can get back out there and find your son?"

Nodding John signaled for the waitress.

Maria checked the clock one more time before heading up the stairs to Joey's room. She'd expected Sammy to come down thirty minutes ago. Hoping he hadn't left she quickly opened the door and stepped inside. Maria smiled as she took in the sight of Sammy asleep on the bed. Quietly walking over to the closet she grabbed a blanket and placed it over the young boy. She then walked in the bathroom to gather his dirty clothes and tiptoed back out of the room leaving the door cracked open in case he needed something.

John and Dean pulled up at their house. They'd searched all morning but there still wasn't any sign of the youngest Winchester. Trudging into the house Dean headed for the bathroom while John walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Snatching up the bread he began fixing some grilled cheese sandwiches for Dean. He'd let it go this morning when his son just picked at his breakfast but he was going to make sure Dean ate every bite of the sandwiches. He had enough to worry about with Sammy missing. Hearing his oldest come into the room he ordered, "Have a seat Dean. I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch."

"I'm not hungry." Dean answered as his stomach growled.

Smirking John brought over a plate with two sandwiches and some chips on it. "Tough. I expect you to eat everything on that plate young man."

"But daaad" Dean whined. "We need to go find Sammy."

"We will." John assured him. "We'll leave just as soon as you finish your lunch."

"Fine" Dean ground out. Snatching one of the sandwiches he took a small bite. Realizing how hungry he was Dean quickly dug into his meal devouring the sandwiches and chips in minutes. His eyes lit up as his dad brought another sandwich over. "Thanks dad" he said between mouthfuls.

Minutes later John and Dean headed out to meet up with the officers and start the search all over again.

Sammy woke to the sound of the front door slamming shut. Getting up he quietly walked out of Joey's room and down the hall. Stopping at the end of the hall he sat down by the banister and peeked through the bars to see what all the commotion was about.

Maria was surprised to see Amy walk in the front door quickly followed by an irate Mrs. Brooks. "Mrs. Brooks, I wasn't expecting you home so soon. Is Ms. Amy sick?" she asked.

"Well Amy do you want to tell her or should I? It's not like everyone in the whole town won't know in a few hours anyway! Amy here got herself suspended! For fighting!" Mrs. Brooks ranted. Looking at Maria she managed to get her emotions under control. "Maria I need to deal with Amy. I want you to take the rest of the day off."

Not wanting to leave Maria searched for an excuse to stay. "Mrs. Brooks, I haven't finished sweeping the kitchen and I haven't even started on the upstairs yet. Why don't I start on the upstairs while you and Amy talk?"

"I said leave, Maria unless you don't need your job anymore." Mrs. Brooks threatened.

"Yes, ma'am." Maria said thinking of a way to warn Sammy, "Just let me get my purse. I think I left it upstairs."

"Isn't that your purse on the table by the door?" Mrs. Brooks pointed out. "Now take it and go. I won't tell you again."

Walking over to the table Maria snatched up her purse and opened the front door. She forced herself to walk down the front steps and across the walkway. As she reached the end her walk became a run. She sprinted to the nearest neighbor's house and banged on the door. She needed to get to a phone and fast. She was through pretending to be deaf and blind when Mrs. Brooks "disciplined" her children. She was going to put an end to it. She just prayed the police would get there in time.

As soon as Maria was out the door Mrs. Brooks rounded on Amy. "Fighting? What were you thinking? I'll have you know I was in the middle of my country club meeting when I got the call. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?" she screamed as she stalked toward her daughter.

"Mom, I wasn't fighting. It was the girls next to me. I didn't do anything." Amy cried as she backed away from her mother.

"Really!" Mrs. Brooks cackled. "So the principal and the teachers were lying when they said you were in it too?" Enraged Mrs. Brooks reached around smiling as her hands landed on the fireplace poker. "Haven't I told you never to lie to me, Amy? Its bad enough you disgraced me by fighting like common white trash but to lie on top of that! I'm sorry I ever brought you into this world." She spit out as she swung the poker.

Sammy sat frozen watching as Mrs. Brooks repeatedly hit Amy and continued to rant and rave at her daughter. Tears ran down Sammy's face as he listened to Amy's pained filled screams. His eyes widen as he saw the poker hit Amy in the side of the head. Terrified Sammy looked on as Amy fell to the floor unmoving and silence filled the room.

"Get up! I said get up Amy!" Mrs. Brooks hollered as she eyed her daughter. Noticing that Amy wasn't moving she leaned over and turned her daughter's body over. Seeing the blood on her child's face quelled the anger and a new emotion took hold: fear. "Amy? Amy honey mommy didn't mean to hurt you. Come on honey get up for mommy." She pleaded as she stroked her daughter's hair.

Sammy sat unmoving breathing hard. His mind tried unsuccessfully to make sense of what he had just witnessed. Sammy trembled as he continued to sit and watch the horrific scene below.

Sirens drew Mrs. Brooks out of her grieving. Getting up she walked to the window and looked out surprised to see the police cars pulling into her drive. Backing up she started shaking her head. _"They can't come in now. They'll see what I did. What Amy made me do. And then I'll be the laughing stock of the community."_ She thought. _"No. I can't let that happen. I can't let them get me." _Her muddled mind tried desperately to come up with a solution. Spotting the gun case she had her answer. Unlocking the case she grabbed the pistol her father had given her for protection. Walking back over to Amy she knelt down and dipped her finger in her daughter's blood using it to write out a message. That done, she placed her daughter's hand next to the writing and stood up. "I love you Joey" she said before she placed the barrel of the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger.

Congrats to beyondtired and Criminally Charmed for knowing that the cops were named after silent film stars "Fatty" Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. Check out the silent movie "Sherlock Jr. if you get a chance. It's amazing to see what Keaton and his cameraman were able to do decades before special effects studios or even computers.

Trivia- It was in Keaton's contract that he couldn't smile in public. Keaton was one of the first (if not the first) to have a curse word in a film. In his 1920's movie The Boat, the name on the side of the boat is Damfino. If anyone went to the Dallas Con or saw the pictures, now you know what Jim Beaver's hat meant.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural-"I love you Joey" she said before she placed the barrel of the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger.

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"I'll be right back dad" Dean called as he ran inside the house. Unlocking the door he quickly headed for the bathroom. After taking care of business and washing his hands, Dean started for the front door. Hearing the phone ring he changed course walking over to the table and picking up the receiver. "Sammy?" he questioned.

"Dean it's Maria. Let me talk to your father." Maria ordered.

"Dad can't talk right now. We have to go back out and find Sammy." Dean informed her.

"Sammy's at Mrs. Brooks house Dean." Maria said. "Tell your dad to get there as fast as he can. Sammy's in danger."

Dean dropped the phone and dashed out the door and to the car. Throwing himself in the back seat he yelled, "Sammy's at Joey's house, dad and he's in trouble!" He held on tight as the impala peeled out of the driveway and raced to the Brooks home.

As soon as she hung up the phone Maria left the neighbor's and ran back to the Brook's house. Seeing the squad cars in the driveway made her feel a little better. _"Maybe it's going to be alright after all." _She thought.Slowing down to a walk she headed to the nearest officer to fill him in on the situation.

Just as she made it to the patrol car a gunshot rang out from inside the house sending the officers scrambling behind the cars. One officer grabbed Maria's arm pulling her down. "Stay down ma'am." Officer Lloyd commanded. He motioned for some of his men to make their way around to the back of the house and then turned to Maria. "Are you the one who called?" he asked.

"Yes. Mrs. Brooks had to go get Amy from school. She was suspended for fighting and Mrs. Brooks was furious! I'd never seen her that mad before and I was scared of what she might do." Maria explained.

"Are they the only people in the house? What part of the house were they in when you left?" the officer quizzed.

"They were in the living room. It's to the right of the front door where that window is." Maria said pointing. "And they're not alone. Sammy Winchester is upstairs in Joey's room, the third door on the left. He came after they left this morning."

"Winchester. Isn't he that missing kid from last night?" Officer Lloyd asked. At Maria's nod he continued his questioning. "What's he doing here? Does Mrs. Brooks know he's in the house?"

"I'm not sure why he came here. He tried to call his father to come get him but he wasn't home. We were going to try again but he fell asleep and then Mrs. Brooks came storming in." Maria stated. "She didn't know he was there when I left and I hope she hasn't found him. There's no telling what she'd do to him."

"What makes you say that ma'am?" Lloyd asked.

"Mr. Winchester came last night to see if Sammy was here and I guess some things were said. And then a policeman came to the door to ask about Sammy. She was outraged that Mr. Winchester sent the police here. I'm afraid she'll take her anger on Mr. Winchester out on Sammy if she finds him. Please, you have to get Sammy and Amy out of there!"

"We'll do our best, ma'am" Officer Lloyd promised. Seeing an officer motioning for him he added, "Stay here. I'll be back." Officer Lloyd carefully made his way over to the other officer. "What is it, Stan?"

"Sir, Officer Hardy just radioed in. He looked through one of the windows on the side of the house and observed two bodies in one of the rooms in the front of the house. They appear to be two females and neither one is moving. He said he could also see blood on and around the victims." Stan related. "What do you want us to do, sir?"

Scrubbing a hand across his face Officer Lloyd thought for a moment. "Tell Hardy to make his way into the house from the back. We'll go in the front." Lloyd decided. "And tell him to be careful. There's a little boy in the house." Lloyd then opened his car door and radioed for an ambulance.

Stan quickly relayed the information to Hardy and then followed his fellow officer to the front door. Pausing at the door both men drew their guns. Finding the door unlocked Stan slowly opened the door and peered inside. Seeing no immediate threat the two officers headed in and made their way to the living room. The scene that met their eyes shocked both men. Mrs. Brooks and her daughter were laying side by side both covered in blood. Stan knelt down beside the teenage girl and felt for a pulse while Lloyd did the same with Mrs. Brooks.

"This one's gone." Lloyd said. "What about the girl?"

Stan sadly shook his head. "She's dead, sir."

"Alright secure the scene. I'm going upstairs to find the boy." Lloyd told Stan. _"God I hope he didn't see this."_ He thought as he walked over to the stairs.

John and Dean jumped out of the impala and raced up the driveway with Officers Keaton and Arbuckle right on their heels. They made it as far as the squad cars before their way was blocked by several officers. "Get outta my way! I've gotta get to my son!" John yelled.

"Sorry sir." One of the officers said. "This is a crime scene. No one is allowed past this point."

"I don't give a damn what you allow! My son's in there and I'm going to him. Now move or be moved." John threatened.

"John!" Officer Keaton called stepping in front of his friend. "John calm down! Getting yourself arrested won't help Sammy. You and Dean stay here. I'll go find out about Sammy, okay?"

John glared at the officers. His little boy was in that house and he was determined to get him. Clenching his hands into fists he prepared to fight his way past the men. Just as he was about to take a swing at the nearest officer he felt someone grab his hand.

"Dad, don't! If you get arrested, they'll take me and Sammy away. I don't wanna lose you and Sammy. Please just stay here and let Officer Keaton go in and get Sammy." Dean pleaded. "Please, dad."

John was taken aback by Dean's words. His oldest had never sounded so young and scared. Crouching down he drew Dean into a hug. "It's okay Dean. Nobody's gonna take you and Sammy away from me." He soothed. "I'm staying right here." John looked up at Officer Keaton and motioned for his friend to go. He watched as the officer trudged up to the house and walked inside.

Lloyd's hopes were quickly dashed. As soon as he got to the top of the staircase he saw the little boy sitting by the banister staring down at the grisly scene. Not wanting to frighten the child he holstered his weapon and called out. "Sammy?" Getting no response he slowly walked over to the little boy and knelt down beside him. "Sammy? Can you hear me, buddy?" he asked. When the only response was silence, Lloyd carefully reached out and took hold of Sam's trembling hand. Noting the cold clammy skin Lloyd felt for the boy's pulse. Finding it racing Lloyd stood up and called down. "Stan! Get the medics in here now! This kid's in shock!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

I have very little medical knowledge. Please excuse any mistakes in treatments or medical terminology.

Previously on Supernatural- Noting the cold clammy skin Lloyd felt for the boy's pulse. Finding it racing Lloyd stood up and called down. "Stan! Get the medics in here now! This kid's in shock!"

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"Dad, something's wrong! Look!" Dean hollered pointing to the medics who were quickly wheeling a gurney into the house.

"_Oh God! Sammy!"_ John thought. He had only taken two steps towards the house when someone shouting his name diverted his attention.

Officer Keaton walked into the living room and gasped at the terrible scene before him. Glancing around the room he noticed that there were only two bodies and both were female. Relief filled him as he realized that the Winchester boy was not there. He had become fond of the Winchesters in the small amount of time he'd known them and he couldn't imagine having to tell them that the youngest member of their family was dead. Shoving those morbid thoughts away Keaton focused back on the task at hand. Not wanting to disturb the crime scene he stood in the doorway and called out to the nearest officer. "Stan, did you find the Winchester boy?"

Before Stan could utter a word, Lloyd's shout rang out through the house. Stan immediately radioed for the medics while Keaton rushed up the stairs to offer assistance.

Making it to the top Keaton stopped at the sight of the very distraught boy. He slowly walked over and whispered, "How's he doing, Lloyd?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not good. See if you can find a towel or something to hang over the banister. He's seen more than enough already."

"Yes sir" Officer Keaton responded. He walked over to the first door and disappeared inside coming out minutes later with a pillowcase and a blanket. He threw the pillowcase over the banister in front of Sammy and then wrapped the little boy's trembling frame in the blanket. Hearing footsteps behind him Keaton stepped back to let the medics through. He watched and listened as the two medics started assessing Sammy's condition.

After a moment, one of the medics looked up at the officers. "Is that the boy's mother?" she asked motioning to the body below.

"No ma'am. Sammy's a friend of her son." Officer Keaton informed her. "His dad and brother are outside. Do you want me to get them?"

"Have them meet us at the front door." Myrna instructed. Turning back to her patient she smiled and changed to a more motherly tone of voice. "Sammy, sweetie we need to get you out of here now. My friend Joe here is going to pick you up and put you on that bed over there. Okay, honey?" Getting no response she motioned to Joe who carefully scooped up the little boy and set him on the gurney. Myrna then strapped Sammy onto the gurney and lifted one side of the gurney while Joe took the other and headed down the stairs.

"Mr. Winchester! Mr. Winchester!" Maria shouted as she made her way over to the small family. "Thank goodness you got here!"

"What happened Maria? What's Sammy doing over here? Has he been here the whole time?" John quizzed.

"No sir. He came to the door this morning after everybody left. He tried to call you twice but you weren't home." Maria stated. "We would have tried again but he fell asleep and then Mrs. Brooks and Amy came home. And everything went to hell in a hand basket after that."

Smirking at the normally reserved Maria's colorful language, John asked, "What do you mean by that, Maria? What happened?"

Maria took a deep breath and then proceeded to fill John in on the morning's events. "Mrs. Amy got into a fight at school and they suspended her. The school called Mrs. Brooks during her meeting at the country club to have her go pick up Amy. By the time they got home Mrs. Brooks was livid. She wanted me to leave so she could deal with Amy. I tried to postpone leaving so I could warn Sammy and maybe calm Mrs. Brooks down but she wouldn't hear it. So I left and ran to the neighbors to call 911. I just hope it wasn't too late."

John laid a hand on Maria's arm. "I'm sure you. . ."

"Dad! Officer Keaton's waving for us to come to him." Dean broke in before he started running to the house followed closely by John.

Sliding to a stop at the bottom of the front porch John began firing questions at the officer. "Did you find Sammy? Is he alright? Where is he? What's going on?"

Officer Keaton put a hand up to silence John. "Calm down John. The medics will be bringing Sammy out in just a minute." Seeing John about to interrupt Keaton quickly continued. "He's going to be alright John. Mrs. Brooks didn't hurt him. He's just in shock from witnessing something horrible." Hearing the medics coming out of the house he turned and addressed them. "This is Sammy's father, John Winchester and his brother, Dean."

John and Dean fell into step with the medics as they rolled the gurney to the waiting ambulance. "How is he? Can we ride with him?" John asked as he took hold of one of Sammy's hands.

Myrna looked sympathetically at John. "I'm afraid there's not enough room for both of you sir. Do you have someone here who could bring your older son to the hospital?"

"I'll do it, John" Keaton said placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Don't worry about Dean. We'll be right behind the ambulance."

John passed Keaton the keys to the impala without a second thought. Bending down in front of Dean he said, "Dean I need you to go with Officer Keaton. Okay?" Seeing his son slight nod John smiled. "Don't worry champ. Your brother's going to be just fine." John stood up and climbed into the back of the ambulance regaining his hold on Sammy's hand as soon as he sat down.

Dean and Officer Keaton rushed to the impala, backed out of the driveway and tailed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. Once there Officer Keaton broke away from the ambulance and pulled into the visitor's parking lot. Driving around the almost full lot they were dismayed to find the only parking spots were at the very back of the lot. Pulling into the first one they came to they both hopped out of the car and raced through the lot and across the drive to the emergency room. They walked in the doors and headed for the waiting room eyes peeled for any sign of John. Turning the corner into the room they finally caught sight of John sitting at the far end of the room with clipboard and pencil in hand.

Dean ran over to his father and plopped down beside him. "Dad! How's Sammy? Is he okay? Can I see him now?"

"Enough Dean!" John bellowed.

"Sorry dad" Dean whispered sinking back into his seat.

John scrubbed a weary hand across his face. Putting the pencil down he took hold of Dean's chin and nudged his head up so he could look his oldest boy in the eye. "No Dean. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." He apologized. After a moment's hesitation he filled Dean in on the rest. "I don't know how your brother is yet. They wouldn't let me go back with him just pushed me out the door and shoved these papers in my hands."

"Sammy'll be okay dad." Dean comforted. "Just wait and see."

"I know he will, Dean. I know he will." John replied. Staring down at the clipboard, he added, "Guess we should fill this crap out now, huh?"

"I'll do it, dad" Dean offered taking the clipboard and pen from his father.

Sensing that John and Dean needed some time alone Officer Keaton spoke up. "Guys, I think I'll go get us something to drink. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Officer Keaton was headed back to the waiting room thirty minutes later when he spotted Officers Lloyd and Hardy coming in the emergency room entrance. Wondering what was going on Keaton quickly walked toward the room arriving at the same time as the other officers.

Officer Lloyd trudged over and took a seat opposite John Winchester. He hated bothering this family right now but it had to be done. Clearing his throat he waited until Mr. Winchester looked at him to start his speech. "Mr. Winchester, I'm afraid we need you to come down to the station with us to answer some questions."

"Are you out of your minds?" John inquired. "My baby boy is in the emergency room and you want me to leave him and go to the station with you? It ain't happening."

"Sir I understand your situation but we really need to get this cleared up. We'll bring you back here as soon as we can." The officer explained.

"I told you no already. I'm not leaving this spot until I find out how my son is. Period. End of discussion." John stated. "You got something to ask me, ask me here or just forget about it."

"Sir I really don't think we need to go into this here. How about if we use one of the rooms here?" Lloyd suggested. "Then the doctors could still find you." Seeing the twin glares John and Dean directed his way answered that question. "Okay fine. We'll do it your way." Officer Lloyd agreed pulling out his notepad and pen. "Can you tell me where you were this morning around noon?"

John stared incredulously at the officer. "I was out ballet dancing." He said sarcastically. "My son was missing. Where the hell do you think I was? I was out looking for him idjit."

Worried about the questioning, Keaton spoke up. "Officer Lloyd Mr. Winchester and Dean were with Officer Arbuckle and myself all morning looking for Sammy."

Officer Lloyd turned to Keaton grateful to have a reasonable person to speak with. "Were you with him around noon?" he questioned.

"Yes sir. The only time we split up was at 10:00. John took Dean home for an early lunch. But we met back up at 10:30 and started looking again." Keaton stated.

Closing the notepad Officer Lloyd placed it back in his pocket before standing up. "Okay. I guess that'll do for now. But I'll probably have more questions later. Sorry to bother you Mr. Winchester. I hope Sammy's okay." The two officers headed back out of the waiting room mulling over the new information.

"I'll be back in a minute, John." Keaton told his friend. He followed the other officers out the emergency room doors before stopping them. "What was all that about Lloyd? Why were you questioning Mr. Winchester?"

"You know I can't talk to you about the case, Frank." Lloyd said. "You're involved."

"Come on man. You've known me for years. Whatever you tell me won't go any farther than the two of us." Keaton reminded him.

Officer Lloyd glanced around making sure no one was nearby. "Fine" Lloyd caved. "But if anybody finds out I told you, I'll kick your butt." Staring at the entrance he said, "The girl left a message in blood. We think she was attempting to write out her attacker's name."

"_Oh crap!"_ Frank thought as his mind made the connection. Swallowing the lump in his throat Keaton pressed on hoping his assumption was wrong. "What did she write?"

Lloyd glanced around once more before whispering "John W".


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

I have very little medical knowledge. Please excuse any mistakes in treatments or medical terminology.

Previously on Supernatural-"What did she write?"

Lloyd glanced around once more before whispering "John W."

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"Then she must know someone else named John W 'cause Mr. Winchester didn't do it." Keaton stated. "He was with me all morning and we weren't anywhere near that house."

"Not all morning. You said that you separated for a while at ten o'clock. He could have gone to the house then." Lloyd suggested.

"Not a chance, sir. Mr. Winchester's thoughts and actions were centered on one thing and one thing only: finding Sammy." Keaton argued. "Besides, he didn't have any reason to murder Mrs. Brooks or Amy."

"Maybe" Lloyd consented. "We'll see when the autopsy and crime scene reports come in."

"They'll prove Mr. Winchester innocent." Keaton assured the other officers.

"I hope so for the children's sake." Lloyd said. "Come on Hardy. We need to get back to the station. I have a feeling we'll be swamped with calls about this one."

Keaton stood and watched Lloyd and Hardy get into their car and drive away before turning to head back inside. He had just reached the emergency room doors when he heard his name being called. Spinning around he saw Officer Arbuckle and Maria quickly walking towards him.

"What was that all about?" Arbuckle asked as he got along side his friend.

"Just some routine questions" Keaton fibbed as he walked into the hospital.

"How's Sammy? Is he alright?" Maria questioned as she followed the officers.

"The doctors hadn't been out to talk to John yet when I left. Maybe he's heard something since then. They're right in here." Keaton explained pointing to the waiting room.

Hearing voices John and Dean looked up to see their friends walking into the waiting room. "Maria, what are you doing here?" John asked as he got up and made his way over.

"The lead investigator told me to take Maria home but she insisted on seeing how Sammy was doing first." Arbuckle told the group. "Wouldn't take no for an answer."

John motioned for the others to sit before plopping back down in the seat next to Dean. "We haven't heard anything yet. I was about to go. . ." John's answer trailed off as a doctor appeared at the door of the waiting room.

"Family of Samuel Winchester?" the doctor called out.

John was up and in front of the doctor in seconds. "I'm his father. How is he?" he asked anxiously.

"Why don't we sit down?" the doctor offered. Once everyone was seated he began. "Mr. Winchester, I'm Doctor Chaplin. When Samuel was brought into the ER,"

"Sammy" Dean corrected. "My brother's name is Sammy, not Samuel."

The dark haired doctor smiled. "Sorry about that, son. I tend to refer to patients by their formal names. Comes from years of teasing about my own name." He apologized. Seeing Dean's confused stare he continued. "My name is Charles Chaplin."

Hearing snickers from the adults Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I don't get it."

"Charles, as in Charlie Chaplin" the doctor said looking at the blank expression on Dean's face. "Never mind. That was before your time. Now if everyone's finished having a laugh at my expense, I'll fill you in on Sammy's condition. As I was saying he was brought into the ER suffering from shock which we believe stemmed from witnessing a traumatic event. That is being treated and he is responding well. He also has a dog bite on his right arm that is infected. We flushed out the wound, cleaned and bandaged it, and started him on antibiotics for the infection. Once we're sure the infection is completely gone we'll stitch it." Doctor Chaplin paused for a few seconds to let the information sink in. "I need some information about the dog before I do anything else. Do you know the dog that bit your son, Mr. Winchester?"

"No, I didn't even know he'd been bitten." John admitted. "His arm was fine last night before he ran away. He must have had a run in with a dog after he left."

"I was afraid of that. I didn't want to have to subject Sammy to a set of rabies shots but if we can't get any information on the dog. . ."

"Oh my God! Sampson!" Maria interrupted. Grabbing John's arm she repeated her claim, "It was Sampson! I'm sure of it!"

"Sampson?" John asked.

"It had to be. Mrs. Brooks told me that he came in last night with blood on his snout and a little on his collar. She thought he had killed a small animal. Mrs. Brooks had me call the gardener and tell him go in the backyard and get rid of whatever animal Sampson had gotten a hold of. But he didn't find any animal in the backyard. The only thing he found was a few small spots of blood on the playhouse door and on the floor inside the playhouse." Maria explained. "That must be where Sammy spent the night."

"Are you sure?" Doctor Chaplin questioned.

"Positive. No one uses the playhouse anymore and there's no way an animal could get inside." Maria told him. "Oh and there's one more thing. The gardener found an old stuffed animal by the couch. It's a black and brown dog with a missing right eye."

"That's Sammy's dog!" Dean shouted. "Uncle Josh got it for him years ago!"

The doctor scribbled something in the file he was holding before turning his attention back to Maria. "Are the dog's shots up to date?"

"Yes sir" Maria answered. "Taking care of Sampson is part of my job. I can bring you the shot record if you need it. All the papers are at the house in the filing cabinet." Remembering the scene at the Brooks home she frowned. "Wait. I forgot I can't get in the house right now. I take Sampson to the Avant Vet Clinic on Industrial Drive. They should have a copy of his shot record. I can call their office and have them fax a copy of his records if that's okay."

"That's fine, Maria." Doctor Chaplin assured her. "Mr. Winchester when was the last time Sammy had a tetanus shot?"

John thought for a few minutes. "He had the last tetanus booster when he was five. So about three years ago."

"Good. That's two less things to worry about. Now there's one last thing we need to discuss." Doctor Chaplin stated. "Sammy witnessed something no child should ever have to see. . ."

"That's the second time you've said he witnessed something. What exactly did he see?" John questioned.

"John, Mrs. Brooks and Amy were killed this afternoon. Sammy was upstairs. We think he saw everything." Keaton reported.

The doctor waited a few minutes for the news to sink in before continuing. "As I was saying Sammy saw something terrible and I'm worried about how it will affect him emotionally. I'd like to set up a meeting with a child therapist."

"You mean you want Sammy to see a shrink." John growled. "No way. Sammy doesn't need to talk to a shrink. He has his family."

"It's just a suggestion, Mr. Winchester." The doctor said.

"Can we see Sammy now?" Dean impatiently asked.

"Give us a few minutes to get Sammy settled in a room and then I'll send a nurse to take you to see him." Doctor Chaplin told him as he stood up. "I'll leave the therapist's number at the nurse's station in case you change your mind."

Watching the doctor walk away Keaton couldn't stop himself from calling out. "Hey, Charlie! Aren't you forgetting your cane?"

"_Everyone's a comedian"_ Doctor Chaplin thought as he walked out of the waiting room the sound of laughing ringing in his ears.

"I don't get it. What's so funny?" Dean asked staring at the still laughing adults. When all that got him was more laughter he shook his head and walked to the other side of the room. "You guys are nuts." He muttered.

"Sir, the bodies are on the way to the morgue and the crime lab's almost finished collecting evidence." Hardy reported to Officer Lloyd.

"They find anything interesting?" Lloyd asked leaning back in his chair.

"Not much sir. There were no signs of forced entry and nothing appears to have been taken or even disturbed." Officer Hardy replied. "They did manage to lift two sets of prints from the gun and the poker."

"Good. The sooner we get this sorted out the better." Officer Lloyd stated. "I've already had calls from several counsel members and the mayor."

John and Dean sat on opposite sides of Sammy's bed watching the youngest Winchester sleep. They sat silently as nurses came and went and the hours flew by. Their patience was finally rewarded when Sammy started to stir about nine o'clock that night. John took a hold of his baby boy's hand careful not to disturb the IV and softly squeezed it. "Wake up Sammy! Come on you can do it!" John urged.

"Yeah, open those eyes little brother!" Dean encouraged. "I'm getting bored here by myself."

Sammy's eyes fluttered several times before opening halfway. Cloudy, confused eyes glanced from John to Dean before settling back on John. Sammy blinked up at his father and opened his mouth. "Dada?" Sammy whispered before sticking his thumb in his mouth sleep claiming him once more.

AN- For anyone counting the silent film stars, we have a few more. The paramedics in the last chapter were named for Myrna Loy and Joe or Joseph was Buster Keaton's real first name. And of course everyone, except Dean, knows who the doctor was named after.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

I have very little medical knowledge. Please excuse any mistakes in treatments or medical terminology. I am not a therapist. Don't even know one. Everything I could find about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome said to get medical treatment and stopped there. So I'm just making it up as I go.

Thanks go to criminally charmed for the Mary Pickford reminder.

Previously on Supernatural- "Dada?" Sammy whispered before sticking his thumb in his mouth sleep claiming him once more.

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Both Winchesters stood frozen staring down at Sammy in shock not quite believing what they'd just heard. A few minutes into the stunned silence Dean finally found his voice and whispered, "Dad? Dad, what's going on? Why'd he call you dada?"

Hearing the frightened tone in Dean's questions snapped John out of his daze. He reached over and pressed the call button beside Sammy's bed before turning to his eldest son. "I don't know but I'm sure as hell gonna find out."

"Do you need something, sir?" Nurse Pickford asked as she walked in the door.

"Tell Dr. Chaplin that I need to see him immediately." John barked out in a shout that would have made his drill sergeant proud.

"Yes sir" Nurse Pickford replied as she quickly backed out of the door and away from the angry man.

John paced the floor of the small room attempting to make sense of Sammy's sudden regression while he waited for the doctor to appear. He hadn't been called dada for years and as much as he missed hearing his boys refer to him by that cherished name, it sounded so wrong coming from his fiercely independent eight year old. Seeing the doctor walk in John reigned in his temper as best he could.

"Nurse Pickford said you wanted to see me." Dr. Chaplin stated carefully approaching the clearly upset father in front of him.

"Damn right I do" John growled pinning the doctor with a glare. "I wanna know why my eight year old son has reverted back to calling me dada and sucking his thumb!"

Doctor Chaplin glanced over at the sleeping boy wondering how to broach the subject of therapy again without angering his patient's father even more. He took a deep breath, mentally crossed his fingers, and began. "Mr. Winchester, you have to remember that Sammy has been dealt a serious blow. He's discovered that his little world is not the safe happy place he always thought it was and he's struggling to come to terms with it. That's why I suggested the therapist. Sammy's going to need all the help he can get to deal with what he witnessed."

"No. My son doesn't need a shrink! He's not crazy!" John shouted stomping toward the doctor.

"Dad! Dad, stop it! You're scaring him!" Dean called out from the bed.

Turning John saw Dean comforting a wide awake Sammy who was hugging Dean so tightly that he was surprised Dean could breathe. John swiftly stepped over to the bed and reached out to his youngest. His heart broke as Sammy shrunk away burying his head in his big brother's shoulder. Dropping his hands to his sides John smiled. "Sammy, daddy's sorry. He didn't mean to yell." He quietly soothed. "Daddy's not mad. It's okay, kiddo."

Sammy's terrified eyes studied his father intently for a few seconds. Then he smiled and raised his arms. "Dada!" he whispered.

John walked over and scooped his son into his arms careful not to disturb any tubes or wires. Sitting on the bed with his baby boy in his lap John held Sammy in a bear hug whispering over and over, "It's alright, Sammy. Daddy's here."

Dr. Chaplin sat quietly and watched the small family as they comforted their youngest. He knew this was exactly what Sammy needed at the moment but he also knew the little boy would need a lot more help in the near future. Clearing his throat he waited until he had the father's attention before making a suggestion. "Mr. Winchester, why don't I have the child therapist come and talk to you? She would be able to tell you more about what is going on with your son and what you can do to help."

John thought about the offer for a few minutes before agreeing. "Okay. I'll talk to her but she's not getting anywhere near Sammy." John said keeping his focus on his boys.

"Understood." Dr. Chaplin reluctantly agreed. "I'll have one of the nurses let you know when the therapist can come. I'll see you in the morning." Doctor Chaplin quietly let himself out of the room and headed down the hall to leave a message for the child therapist hoping that she would be able to talk some sense into the stubborn man.

Meanwhile at the station

"Alright gentlemen, what have we got so far?" Lloyd asked the small group sitting around the table.

"After talking to several of the neighbors who were home at the time of the incident, we have determined that the victims were killed sometime between 12:00 and 1:00." Hardy explained. "Which pretty much clears our prime suspect since he has a strong alibi for that time."

"Not necessarily, Hardy. His witnesses could be wrong about the time he took off." Lloyd pointed out. "I'm don't think we have enough to rule him out yet. What about you Stan? Have you got anything useful for me?"

"Yes sir" Stan replied. "We've been able to match the prints on the gun to Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. One set of prints on the poker also belongs to Mrs. Brooks but we can't identify the other set yet."

"Alright. Do we have anything on Winchester?" Lloyd questioned. "Did we run a check on him?"

"Here it is sir" Officer Laurel said opening a folder. "There's not much. His wife was killed in a house fire in '83; he's drifted from place to place since then doing odd jobs. That's about it. No arrests or warrants. Nothing except a few speeding tickets when he was younger."

"What about the coroner's report?" Lloyd asked.

"The coroner's office said it would be tomorrow at the earliest before they could tell us anything." Hardy answered.

Lloyd ran a hand through what was left of his hair thinking. "Alright. First thing we need to do is fingerprint Winchester and his oldest boy and compare their prints to the unknown set."

"Sir, you don't really think the kid had anything to do with this, do you?" Hardy asked. "He's just a little boy."

"Hardy you and I both know age doesn't matter." Lloyd pointed out. "We've both seen kids his age and younger come through those doors."

"I know." Hardy conceded. "I just hope you're wrong."

"Me, too." Lloyd agreed. "Last thing I want is to have to arrest a kid. This case is already big news because of the victims. We arrest a kid and we'll have a media circus on our hands."

Back to the hospital

John carefully laid Sammy on the bed smiling as Dean climbed onto the bed next to his little brother and leaned against the headboard. "Dean I need to go out in the hall for a few minutes. I want you to stay here and watch your brother. If he wakes up before I get back come get me."

"Sure dad." Dean replied as he absentmindedly stroked Sammy's hair.

John took one more look at his boys and then quickly walked out the door, down the hall, and into the stairwell. Leaning over the banister he checked to see if the stairs were unoccupied. Once he was certain he was alone he took all the anger that had been building since last night out on the wall in front of him. His anger quickly gave way and he slowly collapsed onto the floor as an emotional flood swept him away.

"Sir, are you alright?" a soft female voice inquired some time later.

Looking up John came face to face with a young couple. Wiping his face with the back of his hand he took a moment to compose himself. "I'm fine ma'am," he lied. "Just came out here for a little break."

The young couple exchanged concerned looks before smiling at the father. "Okay. We just wanted to make sure." The young man explained. "Sorry if we bothered you."

John watched the young couple walk down the stairs and out of sight. Glancing at his watch he was shocked to learn that he'd been away from his boys for half an hour. Quickly opening the door he made his way to the nearest restroom where he cleaned himself up the best he could. He didn't want Dean to see the aftermath of his breakdown. Dean had enough to deal with without worrying about him, too. Leaving the bathroom he headed back to Sammy's room stopping when he noticed the nearby pay phones. Knowing he needed to tell Jim that he couldn't take the case in Georgia and wanting to hear his old friend's calming voice, John walked over and picked up the closest phone.

Dean's eyes opened the second John came into the room. He inched his way off the bed and raced for the bathroom almost tripping over his feet in his haste to reach his destination.

John wearily sat down in the chair by Sammy's bed and once again took his son's hand. "Daddy's here, kiddo. Daddy's here." He whispered. He caught a hold of Dean's arm stopping him as he came past. "I want you to eat these and then lay down on that couch and get some sleep." John ordered handing Dean a bag of peanut M&M's. "Sammy's going to need you to be at your best in the morning."

"Thanks dad" Dean whispered as he ripped open the bag and dug out a handful placing them in John's hand. "Here, you need to eat, too."

John smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "Thanks, sport." The M&M's were devoured in a flash. They then washed the candy down with a bottled water John had also picked up. "Go get some sleep, Dean." John urged when Dean finished the water.

"Yes sir" Dean replied slowly trudging over to the couch. He glanced back at Sammy who was peacefully sleeping and then flopped down on the couch falling asleep instantly.

John sat and kept watch over both his boys all night constantly moving around trying to find a comfortable position in the hard chair. The sun was beginning to come up when John finally drifted to sleep his hand still clutching Sammy's. And that's just how Bobby found them the next morning.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

I have very little medical knowledge. Please excuse any mistakes in treatments or medical terminology. I am not a therapist. Don't even know one. Everything I could find about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome said to get medical treatment and stopped there. So I'm just making it up as I go.

Previously on Supernatural- The sun was beginning to come up when John finally drifted to sleep his hand still clutching Sammy's. And that's just how Bobby found them the next morning.

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Bobby quietly slid into the room and walked over to the bed. He stood watching the youngest Winchester sleep for a few minutes. Leaning down he gently swept the hair out of Sammy's eyes and kissed the little boy's forehead before taking a seat in the chair by the couch. Bobby glanced over at John who was still sleeping and then turned to the couch to find Dean watching him intently. "Morning, Dean" he whispered.

"Hey, Bobby. What are you doing here?" Dean asked as he sat up and stretched.

"Your daddy called me. Said something had happened to Sammy and that I needed to get here fast." Bobby explained. "What's going on, Dean? What happened to your brother?"

John woke to the sound of hushed voices. He stayed perfectly still and listened to gauge the threat if any to his boys. Recognizing his old friend's voice John opened his eyes and spoke up. "Morning, Bobby. How'd you get here so fast?"

Bobby couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "Well, see there's this new fangled invention out called an aero plane. It has a huge belly and wings and a tail and it flies just like a little birdie."

"Good one, Bobby" Dean got out between chuckles. He quickly stopped laughing and focused on the floor as both men's attention was drawn to him. Squirming in his seat Dean struggled for a way to divert their attention. Finally formulating a plan he whispered, "Umm, I'm just gonna go to the, uh, bathroom now" before racing into the bathroom and out of sight.

"Sorry Bobby. It's been a long couple of days." John apologized gazing at Sammy's still form.

"What happened Johnny?" Bobby asked. "You weren't making much sense on the phone."

John stood and walked over to the window. He kept his eyes locked on the view and began. "It started two days ago at supper. Sammy and I had an argument when I told the boys we were leaving Saturday. We both said some things we shouldn't have. He got so upset he ran away. Dean and I searched for him all night and couldn't find him. We even called the police but they didn't have any luck. Then yesterday we get a call for one of his friends' housekeepers saying that he's at their house and to hurry. By the time we got to the house the police were already there."

Bobby waited quietly for John to continue. He knew better than to try to push John into talking.

Stepping back over to the bed John sat on the edge taking Sammy's hand once more. "Sammy's friend's mother and older sister were murdered and they think Sammy saw it happen."

"Oh God!" Bobby blurted out. He took a few moments to wrap his head around the idea that little Sammy had seen something so violent. Once he'd regained his composure he asked, "Has Sammy said anything?"

John shook his head. "Not about that. He woke up a couple of times and he. . .he. . .he called me dada! The doctor says Sammy's suffered some kind of emotional trauma. Wants him to see a shrink. I told him no. That we'd handle it as a family. But I don't know what to do. What am I gonna do, Bobby? How do I bring my Sammy back?"

Bobby sat there stunned as his tough as nails friend fell apart before his eyes. He really wished Jim was here. Jim was great at dealing with feelings and stuff like this. Not him. Bobby had avoided "chick flick" moments since his wife's untimely demise. But looking at his friend's crestfallen face he knew he'd have to give it a shot. As he worked to come up with the right thing to say he took off his cap, ran a hand through his hair, and then replaced the cap. Then clearing his throat he laid out what he hoped was the best solution. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. First you're gonna pull yourself together. You've got two boys that are depending on you to make things better." Seeing John's nod he continued. "Now we need to get all the information we can from the doctor about Sammy's condition. We'll decide what to do after we have all the facts." Standing up he walked over and put a hand on John's shoulder. "Hang in there Johnny. We'll get Sammy through this."

Dean stepped out of the bathroom and worriedly ran over to his dad. "Dad! What's a matter? Did something happen to Sammy?"

John took hold of Dean's arm and drew him into a hug. "He's fine, Dean. Sammy's gonna be just fine. I want you to go get some breakfast in the cafeteria with Bobby." He said as he reluctantly let Dean go.

"But dad" Dean argued.

"That's an order, Dean." John commanded.

"Yes sir" Dean replied. "Come on old timer. Let's go."

"Old timer my a." Bobby grumbled as he followed Dean out the door. "I'll show you who's old."

John smiled and shook his head at Dean and Bobby's antics before turning his attention back to Sammy.

At the station

Officer Lloyd looked over all the case notes accumulated so far as he sipped his latest cup of coffee. Hearing a knock on the door he yelled, "Enter" not even looking up from his work.

"Sir, Mr. Brooks is here to see you." Officer Hardy said.

"Great. Just what I need." Lloyd mumbled. He carefully put away the notes and glanced up. "Okay. Send him in."

Hardy disappeared out the door. A few minutes later a very angry Mr. Brooks stomped in the room. "I demand to know what's taking you so long to catch my family's killer!" he hollered. "Why hasn't that Winchester man been brought in? He was at my house arguing with my wife the night before her murder! He even threatened her! He must have done it! Why isn't he in jail already?"

"Calm down Mr. Brooks" Officer Lloyd soothed. "My men have been working on your case nonstop since it happened yesterday. I'm sorry but I cannot go into the specifics of the case with you. Just rest assured that we're doing everything we can to bring their killer to justice."

"Well that's not enough! Maybe I need to talk to my friend the mayor about your lack of effort on this case. I'm sure he could find another officer to look into it properly." Brook threatened.

Lloyd glared at the man before him. "Don't you dare threaten me! He growled. "You wanna run to your friend go right ahead. It won't help. This case will be treated like any other case. I will not jump the gun just because of your status in the community."

"You just made a big mistake, officer and I'll make sure it's your last." Mr. Brooks spit out as he tromped out the door.

Officer Lloyd sat silently gathering his thoughts for a moment. Then he buzzed the intercom. "Send Officer Hardy in." he ordered.

At the hospital

Bobby and Dean walked back into Sammy's room to see John attempting to get his youngest to eat some breakfast. Sharing amused glances they went over to stand beside John. "Need some help there, dad?" Dean asked.

"Here Dean. See if you can get him to eat." John instructed offering Dean his spot on the bed.

Glancing down at the runny eggs and plain grits Dean made a face. "Ewww! No wonder Sammy won't eat. It looks like something Caleb cooked." Dean joked.

"The kid's got a point, Johnny." Bobby chimed in.

"I know. But he needs to eat something." John pointed out.

Winking at his little brother Dean reached in his pocket. "Maybe Sammy would like this instead." He said as he pulled a small box of Lucky Charms out of his pocket and held it up for his brother to see. "What do you think, Sammy? You want it?"

"Charms!" Sammy squealed reaching out for the box and almost spilling his milk in the process.

"Easy there, sport!" Bobby called grabbing the carton. Taking Sammy's spoon he scooped the grits onto the eggs before dumping the cereal in the now empty bowl and pouring milk on top. "There you go, Sammy. Eat up!"

The three watched smiling as Sammy dug into his cereal cleaning the bowl in no time. When Sammy was finished, John picked up the discarded napkin and cleaned Sammy's hands and face. Just as he was moving the tray table out of the way he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." he called as he set the table in the corner.

An older woman came into the room glancing curiously between John and Bobby. "I'm here to talk to a Mr. Winchester."

"I'm John Winchester." John said putting himself between the stranger and his boys. "What can I do for you?"

Walking over the woman held out her hand. "Mr. Winchester, my name's Janet Webster. I'm the child therapist Dr. Chaplin told you about."

John stepped up and shook the offered hand stopping the doctor from coming any farther into the room. "Let's take this outside." John stated. He ushered the therapist out the door calling "I'll be right back" before shutting the door behind him.

Dr. Webster led John to an empty conference room and motioned for him to take a seat. "Mr. Winchester, Dr. Chaplin filled me in on Sammy's case and asked me to talk with you. He said you are refusing to let Sammy talk with a child therapist. Is that correct? And may I ask why?"

John scowled at the woman in front of him. "Listen Mrs. Webster. I'll tell you the same thing I told Chaplin. My son doesn't need a shrink. He has his family and we will see him through this. So stop the analysis crap and tell me what I can do to help my son."

Sensing the man's hostility Janet decided to try another approach. "Sir there's no way for me to make a diagnosis of Sammy's problem without talking to your son. If you'd just give me a few minutes of his time"

"Not a chance in hell, lady." John cut in. "I'll be going back to my family now. I should have known this was a trick."

"Mr. Winchester, wait! Please!" Dr. Webster called. Seeing John hesitate she seized the opportunity. "Please come sit back down. I promise we'll only talk about what Dr. Chaplin believes is wrong with Sammy."

John stood and weighed his choices before walking back over and taking a seat. "Alright I'm listening."

Smiling Dr. Webster set a pamphlet in front of John. This is not a firm diagnosis but Dr. Chaplin believes that Sammy is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD for short." Seeing John about to interrupt she raised a hand. "I know what you're going to say. Yes, it's the same thing many soldiers experience. But it's also common in children who have witnessed or suffered a traumatic event. PTSD can manifest in a variety of forms from nightmares and aggressive behavior to withdrawal and regression which is what I'm told has happened in Sammy's case." Pointing to the long list in the pamphlet she continued, "Sammy may start displaying more of these symptoms."

John's head was reeling from all the information he was attempting to absorb all at once. "So what can I do to help him?" he asked.

"Well, there are several things you can do. Sammy needs to feel safe and secure again. Try to stick to your daily routine as much as possible. Do whatever you normally do. Don't make any big changes such as redecorating a room or moving. And watch for triggers for any sudden behavior changes. It could be anything such as a noise or a movement."

"Yeah, we've already seen one of those. When I yelled at the doctor, it terrified him." John informed her.

"Good, that's one trigger you can definitely avoid." Dr. Webster stated. "Now I know this is a lot to take in all at once so why don't you take the pamphlet and read over it and then we'll talk again? And I hope you'll reconsider letting me help Sammy. He needs all the support he can get right now."

"Don't worry. Sammy's support is on its way here as we speak." John assured her as he picked up the pamphlet and headed to the door. "Thanks for the information."

Sammy was sitting up coloring with Dean when John returned to the room. Walking over he looked down at the picture and barely managed to stop the gasp that came to his lips. Sammy was clutching a red crayon and heavily scribbling all over the people in the scene. He had pressed down so hard on parts of the picture that the paper was torn in several places. Closing the book John carefully took the crayon from his son. "I think that's enough coloring for one day, champ." He softly said. His heart broke as he watched Sammy curl up into a ball with his knees pulled up to his chest. Moving the table out of the way John sat on the edge of the bed and scooped his baby boy up and slowly started to rock him telling him story after story about things they had done together. When John ran out of stories, Dean took over recounting the boys' adventures. Finally after an hour of rocking and memories, Sammy began to uncurl himself. He slowly relaxed in John's arms.

Bobby watched as the small family rallied around its youngest member. Wanting to give them so time alone he quietly made his way to the door. With one last look at his family he opened the door and came face to face with an extremely angry Mr. Brooks.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

I have very little medical knowledge. Please excuse any mistakes in treatments or medical terminology. I am not a therapist. Don't even know one. Everything I could find about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome said to get medical treatment and stopped there. So I'm just making it up as I go.

Previously on Supernatural- With one last look at his family he opened the door and came face to face with an extremely angry Mr. Brooks.

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"I think you've got the wrong room mister" Bobby stated as he put a hand out to stop Mr. Brooks from advancing into Sammy's room. "Sammy's not ready for company yet."

"I'm not here for Sammy. It's his father I want." Mr. Brooks spit out pushing against Bobby in a feeble attempt to get into the room. "Get Winchester over here now!"

Hearing the raised voice John look toward the door to see what the commotion was about. "Bobby?" he called cautiously. "You need some help?"

"Stay there, Johnny. I've got this." Bobby replied. He shoved Mr. Brooks out of the doorway and then stepped out and shut the door. Standing in front of the door he crossed his arms and glared at the livid man. "Now listen and listen good cause I'm only gonna say this once. You are gonna leave the hospital and forget all about the Winchesters. Got it?"

Mr. Brooks couldn't believe the audacity of the ruffian blocking the door. Gathering his courage he got up into Bobby's face and growled, "No! You listen. My name is Mr. Alfred Brooks. I'm a very influential"

"I don't care if you're the Queen of England. You ain't getting in that room!" Bobby broke in. "Now I suggest you leave before I forget my manners and do something you'll regret."

Frightened by the other man's glare and the tone in his voice Mr. Brooks took a step back visibly deflating. "You haven't heard the last of me." He threatened before quickly walking down the hallway and out of sight. Spotting Officer Hardy at the nurse's station he made a beeline for the policeman. Tapping the man on the shoulder he waited to speak until he had the officer's attention. "Excuse me Officer. I need your help. A man in a ball cap just accosted me for no apparent reason and he needs to be dealt with immediately."

Officer Hardy groaned when he turned around and saw Mr. Brooks. Taking out his pad and pencil he reluctantly started his questioning. "Okay, Mr. Brooks can you tell me where exactly this happened and where the man went?

"Certainly" Mr. Brooks responded with a sinister smile. "It happened right in the doorway of room 430 and that's where the man is now. If you hurry, you can probably still catch him."

"430? Isn't that the Winchester boy's room?" Hardy asked.

"Why yes, I think it is." Mr. Brooks told him. "I was just going to see how young Samuel was doing when that gorilla of a man assaulted me."

Putting away the pad and pencil Officer Hardy scowled at Mr. Brooks. "Cut the crap, Mr. Brooks. I was at the station this morning when you were ranting about Mr. Winchester. The only reason you have for being here is to harass the Winchesters and muddy our investigation. I want you off this floor now." Hardy ordered. "If I hear of you so much as setting a toe on this floor again while they're here, I'll haul you to jail myself."

Mr. Brooks was dumbfounded by the officer's words. This was the second time he'd been told off in as many minutes. After a few seconds he finally got himself under enough control to shut his mouth. Deciding it was time that he went to a higher authority for help Brooks turned and marched to the elevators determined to use his clout to fight back against what was obviously a conspiracy.

Officer Hardy watched Mr. Brooks step into the elevator. He knew the man was going to try to make big trouble for the department but he wasn't going to allow the rich brat to lead the investigation. Seeing Dr. Chaplin approach he pasted on a smile and stuck out his hand. "Morning, Dr. Chaplin. How's the Winchester boy doing?"

Dr. Chaplin motioned for the officer to follow him. Walking to his office he sat down and eyed the officer. "If you're here to interview the boy, I'm afraid I can't allow it. Sammy is in no shape to discuss yesterday's tragedy."

"I understand he's upset, but we really need his statement. He's the only witness we have." Hardy pleaded.

"That may be" Dr. Chaplin began, "But it would do more harm than good for you to talk to him right now. He was so traumatized by what he witnessed that he's regressed to the age of a toddler. He's only said one word that I know about since he's been here and that was "dada"."

"Poor kid" Hardy commented shaking his head. "Okay, I'll hold off on his interview for as long as I can but I still need to talk with his dad and brother. Is that alright?"

"Certainly, as long as you take them outside the room to talk. I don't want Sammy overhearing anything that might make his condition worse." Dr. Chaplin told the officer.

"Of course, Dr." Officer Hardy said as he stood up and shook Chaplin's hand. "I'll be careful." He walked out the door and down the hall conversing with Dr. Chaplin never noticing the shadow that ducked back in the stairwell.

John continued to rock Sammy long after he'd fallen asleep. He finally stood up and carefully settled Sammy back in his bed. Glancing from Sammy to Dean he sighed. Both his boys were hurting and he wasn't sure he knew how to help either one through this. Knowing there was nothing he could do for Sammy right now he focused his attention on Dean. Spying a deck of cards on the bedside table he grabbed them and the tray table and walked over to his eldest son. Maybe there was something he could do after all. "Hey Dean. Wanna play poker while Sammy's asleep? Betcha can't beat your old man." He dared.

Dean looked up and gave his dad a small smile. "Sure dad. Just remember you asked for it." Taking the deck from his father he quickly shuffled and dealt the cards. Glancing at his hand his smile grew wider. "This is gonna be like taking candy from a baby." He said as he put his first wager of M&M's in the pot.

Pastor Jim started up the final set of stairs and stopped in his tracks. Noticing a man peering through the small window at the top of the landing Jim went into hunter mode immediately scrutinizing the man before him. Taking in the sneaky behavior, the long coat, and the camera hidden underneath Jim surmised that the man was a reporter. He quickly climbed the remaining steps without a sound, slid in behind the young man, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Something I can help you with?" he asked.

Paul Lewis had just started to walk out of the stairwell when he caught sight of the policeman. Stepping back inside he stood watching waiting for the cop to leave. He just needed a few minutes to slip into the Winchester kid's room, take some pictures, and get the dirt on the Brooks saga. Then he'd be the golden boy of the paper instead of Craig. Paul was so intent on the goings on outside the stairwell that he never heard anyone come up from behind. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice in his ear. Spinning around he found himself staring at a priest. Quickly getting his composure he started his phony story. "Morning father. I was just taking a moment before I go see my sick little boy."

"I see. And do you always bring your camera to the hospital with you?" Jim asked.

"Camera? Oh, ummm" Paul stammered. Searching for a good excuse and coming up empty he decided to tell the truth at least partially. "Okay, you caught me. Paul Lewis with The Orlando Recorder. I'm here to interview the Winchester kid and his family. I already cleared it with his father."

"Oh really." Jim exclaimed. "Seems John forgot to mention that little detail to me when he called."

"You know the Winchesters?" Paul squeaked.

"Yes, I do. See they're part of my family." Jim replied as he frowned at the young reporter. "Now I know John would never let a reporter anywhere near his son. So I suggest you take your camera and leave now. I have more important things to do than deal with the likes of you."

Paul laughed at the priest's threat. "Oh that's a good one man." He chuckled. "You take care of me. What are you gonna do: bore me to death with one of your sermons."

Pastor Jim squared his shoulders and glared at the man in front of him. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of throwing you out of the hospital." He warned stepping closer to the reporter.

Never one to back down from a challenge Paul stood his ground. "Two things wrong with that old man. One, there's no way you could take me anywhere and Two, even if you did throw me out, I'd just come back later." He said smugly.

"Not if I throw you out that window" Jim replied pointing to a nearby window.

Taken aback by the pastor's threat Paul stammered, "We're on the fourth floor."

"Why, I do believe you're right." Jim agreed backing the reporter into the corner and grabbing his jacket.

"But, but you can't do this. You're a priest!" Paul argued.

Pastor Jim gave the young man a brief smile. "There are two things wrong with that: One it's not Sunday and two we're not in church. Now what's it going to be, young fellow?"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Paul hollered as he raced down the stairs.

Pastor Jim chuckled as he opened the door and walked out onto the Pediatrics floor of the hospital. "I knew watching those old John Wayne movies would come in handy some day." He mumbled as he headed for Sammy's room.

AN- I know we didn't hear much from Sammy. Don't worry. He'll be back in the thick of things in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- Pastor Jim chuckled as he opened the door and walked out onto the Pediatrics floor of the hospital. "I knew watching those old John Wayne movies would come in handy some day." He mumbled as he headed for Sammy's room.

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"Let me guess" Jim started walking up to Bobby. "You're supposed to be one of those gargoyle things guarding a special treasure."

Bobby looked at Jim in mock horror. "Man, I told you hanging around Caleb was a bad idea. I think he's beginning to rub off on you instead of the other way around." Smiling he stood and shook the pastor's hand. "Glad you're here Jim. Johnny's having a hard time with dealing with all this."

Jim leaned against the wall and sighed. "I was afraid of that. I knew it had to be bad when he wasn't making a lot of sense on the phone last night. About the only part I understood was that Sammy was hurt. What happened Bobby?"

"I think you better sit down." Bobby cautioned. He waited until Jim took a seat and then filled the pastor in. "John said it started a couple of nights ago when he told the boys they were moving. He and Sammy got into it and Sammy ended up running away. He musta went to this friend's house. Anyway John and Dean searched all night and couldn't find him. Johnny even called the cops. Then they get a call the next day from a housekeeper or somebody like that telling them to come get Sam. But by the time they get there, the place is crawling with cops. Seems the mother and the daughter of the house were murdered and Sammy saw it."

"That poor boy" Jim exclaimed lowering his head. He took a moment to gather himself before whispering, "How is he, Bobby?"

"It's bad Jim. Sammy barely talks and when he does, he only says one or two words. He's back to calling John "dada". Freaked Johnny out the first time he did that. Dean, too." Bobby explained. "And Sammy has these fits. He'll just start screaming and crying at the least little thing. Anything could set him off. Doc thinks its Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

Standing Jim walked over and grabbed the door handle. "No wonder John's so upset." He said as he opened the door. "You coming?"

"Nah, I thought I'd stay out here for a while. Make sure no one bothers'em." Bobby declared as he took a seat by the door once again.

"Good idea." Jim stated. "I've already had to discourage a reporter on my way up here."

"How'd you manage that?" Bobby asked curiously.

"Threatened to toss him out the window if he didn't leave" Jim told him before walking into Sammy's room.

"_Shoot, he __has__ been around Caleb too long."_ Bobby thought chuckling at the image of the priest intimidating someone.

Mayor's Office

I'm telling you the police aren't doing their jobs! Winchester is still walking around scot free! They haven't even talked to him yet!" Mr. Brooks ranted as he paced around the mayor's office.

"Are you sure about that, Alfred?" Robert calmly asked.

"Of course, I'm sure! I talked to the officer in charge this morning!" Brooks growled out as he stomped over and placed his hands on his friend's desk. "Something needs to be done, Robert!"

Robert glanced at his friend for a moment and then reached out and snatched up the phone. Hitting a button on the phone he looked up at Mr. Brooks and said, "I'll take care of it, Alfred, you go home and be with Joey." Turning back to eye the phone he tapped his fingers impatiently waiting for an answer. "This is Mayor Blout. Put me through to Officer Lloyd. . .I don't care what he's doing! Get him on the phone now!"

At the hospital

Pastor Jim walked into Sammy's room and closed the door behind him. Scanning the room he found Sammy asleep on the bed and John and Dean over by the couch playing cards. Smiling at the two as they looked up he asked, "Now why I am not surprised to find you two playing poker?"

"Hey Jim" John greeted dropping his cards and offering the chair to his friend. "Bobby still outside?"

As soon as his father turned his back Dean's hand shot out grabbing a handful of M&M's out of the pot in the middle of the table. "Howdy P.M." he called before stuffing the stolen candy in his mouth.

Jim sat down and let out a laugh at Dean's antics. "Morning Dean. And to answer your question John, yes, he's guarding the door."

"Good. I don't want anymore unwelcome visitors sneaking in." John stated as he took a spot on the bed beside Sammy. Gazing down at his sleeping little boy he asked, "Did you get a hold of Caleb and Josh?"

Jim nodded his head before realizing that John couldn't see him. "Yes, they wanted me to tell you that they'd be here as soon as they finished their hunt. Said it shouldn't take more than one or two more days." He informed them grinning as he saw Dean snitching another handful of M&M's.

"Dean, quit eating the bets." John ordered without turning around.

"How do you do that?" Dean questioned dropping the M&M's back onto the table.

John turned to his oldest smirking at Dean's shocked expression. "Sorry sport. That's a secret only fathers get to know about."

Glaring at his dad Dean said, "You are so full of sh"

"Language, Dean." Jim reminded.

Dean glanced over at the priest and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, P.M." Dean apologized. "I kinda forgot you were here."

"Not a problem." Jim replied returning the smile. "Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get lunch for everyone? I know you must be hungry by now."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'm starving." John broke in. Pulling out his wallet he handed a few bills to Dean who was staring down at his little brother. "Go ahead Dean. I'll take good care of Sammy while you're gone."

Dean stepped up beside Jim and then hesitated. "But what if. . ."

"He'll be fine, Dean." John assured his son. "Bobby won't let anyone come in that door besides the doctors and nurses. And I'll be right here with Sammy the whole time you're gone."

"Okay, dad." He conceded. He took one more look at Sammy and then followed Jim out the door.

At the station

Officer Lloyd slammed the phone down cursing the mayor under his breathe. Pressing the intercom button he growled, "Send Officer Stan in here immediately!" He sat back in his chair and attempted to reign in his anger while he waited for the young officer to arrive. Several minutes later he heard a soft knock on his door. "Enter" he bellowed.

Officer Stan came into the room and walked up to the desk. "You wanted to see me sir?" he asked nervously shifting from foot to foot.

"Yeah, I need those autopsy reports ASAP. Go down to the coroner's office and jack'em up. Tell them to get it in gear before we have an even bigger mess to deal with." Lloyd commanded.

"Yes sir" Officer Stan responded as he swiftly made his way to the door. Opening the door he paused and glanced at Officer Lloyd. "Sir? What's the rush?" he timidly asked.

Officer Lloyd drew his hand across his eyes and let out a sigh. "Brooks went to the mayor and he's threatening to call in a special investigator if we don't have answers for him by tonight. If that happens, the media will descend on this town like a pack of rabid dogs. I won't let my town be dragged through the mud just because some rich idiot's having a temper tantrum."

"Don't worry sir. We'll figure it out before that happens." Officer Stan announced before walking out the door.

"I hope to God you're right." Officer Lloyd whispered opening the case folder and sifting through the evidence once again.

At the hospital

John was just coming out of the bathroom when the door opened and Officer Hardy came in followed closely by Bobby. "What can I do for you, Officer?" John questioned as he took a seat on the bed beside Sammy.

Officer Hardy cautiously eyed the two men who were now sitting on either side of the youngest Winchester. They reminded him of that old man who had been hunting people for sport. _"I am so dead."_ He thought as he took in the scowls directed his way knowing what he was about to say would anger the men even more. Wishing he had brought another officer with him for back up Officer Hardy thought about leaving but decided against it. He was a police officer and he had a job to do. Taking a deep breathe he jumped right in. "I'm sorry to bother you Mr. Winchester. But I'm afraid I need you and your oldest boy to come down to the station with me. I promise it won't take long."

John's eyes narrowed as he listened to the officer. "I already told you, I am not leaving my son. Anything you need to ask, you can ask here in his room." John stated rising from his seated position.

"No questions. We just need to fingerprint you and your boy Dean." Hardy clarified.

"What!?" John shouted as he backed the officer into the wall. "You're blaming Dean now! My son had nothing to do with what happened to the Brooks and neither did I! Now get out of here before I throw you out!"

"Step back right now. Don't make me arrest you, Mr. Winchester!" Officer Hardy threatened.

The sound of voices penetrated Sammy's sleep. Snippets of an angry conversation drifted through his foggy brain: come down to the station. . . fingerprint. . .blaming Dean. . .arrest you. Sammy struggled to wake up as the words became clear. Finally managing to leave the dream world behind he opened his eyes and turned in the direction of the now shouting voices. Seeing a police officer threatening his dad with a pair of handcuffs Sammy shot up in bed and threw the covers aside. Feeling hands wrap around him he glanced up to see Bobby holding him and whispering something he couldn't hear. He struggled to free himself from his uncle's grip but it was no use: Bobby was just too strong. Unable to get free he glared at the officer and yelled, "Go away! Leave my dad alone!"

AN- P.M. stands for Pastor Murphy. The teenagers at my church use to call my dad P.W. so I thought I'd let Dean try it out.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- He struggled to free himself from his uncle's grip but it was no use: Bobby was just too strong. Unable to get free he glared at the officer and yelled, "Go away! Leave my dad alone!"

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"Get the hell outta my room before I kick you're a!" Sammy shouted at the officer while kicking and hitting his uncle to break Bobby's hold.

Sammy's screams made Hardy and John both stop arguing and stare at the little boy who continued to hurl threats at the officer. Forgetting all about his disagreement with Hardy, John hurried over to his son's bed. He gathered Sammy into his arms and then sat on the side of the bed. "I'm alright, Sammy. Officer Hardy and I were just talking. We didn't mean to scare you, kiddo." He explained rubbing Sammy's back to calm him.

"But the, the handcuffs" Sammy stammered glaring at the officer. "He, he said he was gonna, gonna arrest you."

"Nobody's being arrested, Sammy. Your dad and I just got a little carried away. That's all." Officer Hardy assured as he held up the cuffs. "I'm gonna put the handcuffs away now. See?" Hardy slowly lowered the cuffs and put them back into his belt.

Sammy watched the officer's movements suspiciously. He slowly began to calm down as the cuffs made their way into the officer's belt.

"See, champ. No more handcuffs." John pointed out. "Everything's fine now."

Sammy started to smile then stopped his eyes going wide as he caught sight of the object beside the cuffs. The object that Officer Hardy now had his hand resting on. Sammy fisted his dad's shirt as his fear filled eyes gazed at the silver and black gun handle that stuck out of its holster. His breathing sped up and he started sweating as snippets of memories flashed through his brain. "No, no, no" he panted placing a hand on his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Sammy? Sammy, what's wrong?" John asked as he tightened his grip on his trembling little boy. "Sammy, it's okay. Officer Hardy put the cuffs up." Confused and worried by his son's panic John began to slowly rock Sammy hoping the soothing motion would help. But Sammy's breathing only worsened.

Bobby grabbed the call button and held it down. As he watched the scene playing out in front of him Bobby noticed that Sam's eyes were glued to something on the other side of the room. Following the boy's gaze he immediately saw the cause of Sammy's panic. Swearing under his breath Bobby stomped over to the officer who was just standing there like a stick in the mud. "Let's go." He growled as he grabbed the man's arm and roughly escorted him out of the room. Once in the hall he stood arms crossed in front of the door as he glared at the officer.

Pastor Jim sighed as he watched Dean pick at his food. "You need to eat, Dean." He gently scolded.

"I need to get back to Sammy." Dean snapped back.

"And we will. Just as soon as you eat your lunch." Pastor Jim told him. After another minute of watching the boy move his food around on his tray, Jim decided to try to get Dean to talk about what was bothering him. "Dean, what happened? Your dad and Sammy have had arguments before but they've never been so bad that Sammy ran away. What was so different this time? What changed?" he asked.

Dean stared down at his plate for several minutes before whispering, "They both did."

"What do you mean, Dean?" Jim prodded.

"It's kinda hard to explain." Dean stated still looking down at the table. "I think it started after my first hunt a few months ago. It was just a simple salt and burn. But dad started to change after that. It's like he decided that Sammy was grown up then 'cause he stayed by himself that night. He stopped letting Sammy play with his friends and he quit explaining things to him. Just ordered him to do stuff like a drill sergeant or something."

"I bet Sammy loved that." Jim muttered.

"Sammy was hurt. He couldn't understand why dad was treating him so different." Dean explained.

"And of course John didn't feel the need to explain things, did he?" Jim asked scowling.

"No" Dean whispered as he stood and picked up his tray. "Can we go back to Sammy's room now?"

"Sure, Dean" Pastor Jim said as he gathered his trash. _"I think John and I need to have a little talk." _He thought as he followed Dean out of the cafeteria.

Keeping a tight reign on his own emotions John shifted to sit with his back against the headboard of the bed. He gently removed Sammy's hand from its grip on his shirt and then turned him to sit with his back leaning on his dad's chest. "Calm down, Sammy. You're okay. You just need to slow down your breathing. Calm down and breath with me, kiddo. C'mon, you can do it. In. Out. In. Out." he coached as he ran a comforting hand through Sammy's hair.

Dr. Chaplin rushed into the room and was beside the bed in no time. After conducting a quick assessment of his patient, he reached behind the bed, grabbed the oxygen mask that was hanging on the wall and settled it on Sammy's face. "Keep talking him through this, John. I'll be right back." He instructed before turning and racing back out the door.

Officer Lloyd slammed the folder down on his desk. He wasn't getting anywhere. Getting up he began pacing around the room thinking over everything they knew so far. There was something off about this whole crime. If he could just figure out what it was, he could solve the case. Deciding the answer had to be in their information somewhere; he settled himself back in his chair and opened the folder once more. Just as he started reading there was a knock on the door. "Enter" he called.

Officer Stan stepped into the room with a folder in his hand and a big smile on his face. "Here's the autopsy reports, sir." He stated handing the folder to his chief.

Officer Lloyd eagerly opened the folder and skimmed the information. After a few minutes, his eyebrows rose. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

AN- Sorry it's so short. I had another close friend die tonight and my mind's not really on this. BTW I start back to work tomorrow so the updates might slow down a little.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- Officer Lloyd eagerly opened the folder and skimmed the information. After a few minutes, his eyebrows rose. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

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Dr. Chaplin gazed suspiciously at the two men standing outside his patient's room before opening the door and stepping inside. Hearing Sammy's ragged breathing he hurried over to the bed. Pulling a syringe out of his coat pocket he inserted the needle into the catheter in the IV and quickly administered the needed medication. He watched as Sammy's breathing slowed evening out as the little boy fell asleep. After rechecking his patient's vitals, he glanced up at John who was still holding his now sleeping son. "Let's go outside the door for a minute, Mr. Winchester. We have to talk." Dr. Chaplin whispered.

John looked at the doctor like he had three heads. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't want Sammy to wake up"

"You don't have to worry. I gave Sammy a mild sedative." The doctor broke in. "He won't wake up for awhile."

John stared at the doctor for a minute before replying. "Fine. But just for a minute." He carefully made his way off the bed and pulled the covers up to Sammy's chin. Leaning over he placed a kiss on Sammy's forehead and then turned and followed Dr. Chaplin out the door.

At the station

"What is it sir? What's wrong?" Officer Stan questioned as he walked around the desk to stand beside Officer Lloyd.

"We have a problem. Several in fact" Lloyd stated still staring at the report in his hand. "The M.E.'s report has the time of death sometime between 11:30 and 12:30 for both victims."

"That's not so bad." Stan assured. "Winchester still could have done it. It'll just be a little harder to prove."

"Normally I'd agree with you but the M.E. found something that really muddies the water." Lloyd said. "The report says both victims died instantly from their wounds."

"But, if that's right, then neither one of them could have written Winchester's name." Stan concluded scratching his head in confusion.

"Which leaves one question: If they didn't write the name, who did? And why?" Officer Lloyd asked. Dropping the report on his desk he got up and walked over to the door mug in hand. "I'm going to get some more coffee. Looks like we're in for a long afternoon."

Back at the hospital

Dr. Chaplin closed the door behind John before rounding on the men in front of him. "Somebody want to tell me what the hell happened in there?!" he growled out.

"Tone it down a notch, doc" Bobby warned.

"I will not tone it down!" Dr. Chaplin exclaimed. "I want to know what caused that little boy in there to have a panic attack! Now start talking!"

"It started when Officer Hardy came in to talk to John." Bobby began. "He wanted John and Dean to leave and go to the station. Things got said and they both got a little upset. When Sammy woke up and saw Officer Hardy's cuffs out, he started screaming. John sat on the bed with Sammy and he was just starting to calm down when he saw the officer's gun."

Dr. Chaplin turned to glare at the officer. "You took a gun into the room? Are you nuts?"

"I forgot it was in the holster." Officer Hardy sheepishly stated. "I'd never intentionally scare the kid. You know that."

"Yes, I do. But you should have been more careful. And you two should have taken the discussion out in the hall. Sammy's been through enough without you adding to it." Dr. Chaplin scolded. "Now you want to tell me what the argument was about?"

At the station

Officer Lloyd sank into his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Alright, so we know that Mrs. Brooks and Amy didn't write that name. So that leaves Winchester. But why would he write his own name?"

"Well, maybe he was trying to throw us off his trail." Stan suggested. "Or maybe it wasn't him at all. The kid could have written it."

"No. That boy wasn't in any shape to write anything." Lloyd told the other officer. "Besides he would have written daddy, not John."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Officer Stan conceded. "Which means Winchester did it. But that doesn't make sense. Why focus our investigation on himself?"

"Don't know. Maybe it's his way of playing with us." Lloyd offered as he opened the evidence folder. "Let's take another look at that writing. Maybe we'll find something new."

At the hospital

Dean and Pastor Jim made small talk as they got off the elevator and walked around the nurse's desk. Spotting a frowning John and the doctor talking Dean took off running down the hall. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Sammy?" he panted as he skidded to a stop beside his father.

"Sammy's fine, Dean." John said. "He's sleeping and we didn't want to wake him up."

Officer Hardy cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Mr. Winchester, but I still need you and Dean to come down to the station with me for questioning and fingerprinting."

"Like I told you before the answer is no. I will not leave my son." John stated scowling at the officer.

Sensing another argument Dr. Chaplin stepped in. "How about a compromise, gentlemen?" he offered. "John, you and Dean go to the station and get fingerprinted." Seeing John about to interrupt the doctor held up his hand. "Wait before you say no. Sammy will sleep for a while. You two can get fingerprinted and come back before he wakes up."

"That won't work. We still need to question them." Officer Hardy pointed out.

"Any questioning can be done here at the hospital by a different officer. Sammy doesn't need to see you again." Dr. Chaplin informed him. "Just make sure you tell the other officers to remove their gun belts before they go in his room."

"Sorry, but that's not the way it works." Hardy started.

"It will this time." The doctor declared. "I expect to see both of them back in that room within the hour or I'll be making a call to a certain lawyer friend of mine."

"Is that a threat, doc?" Hardy asked.

"Take it anyway you want." Dr. Chaplin said. "My patient's needs come first. I will not allow him to wake up and have another attack because your boss is under pressure from Mr. Brooks."

"Fine" Officer Hardy growled. "Let's go Winchester."

"Go ahead, John. Bobby and I will stay with Sammy." Pastor Jim told his friend.

"Alright" John conceded. "We'll be back as soon as they get the fingerprints done."

"But dad" Dean started.

"Come on Dean." John ordered pulling the impala's keys out of his pocket. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back."

Spying the keys Officer Hardy spoke up. "You don't need your keys, Mr. Winchester. You're riding with me."

"Not a chance" John shot back. "I don't trust you to keep your word. We're taking my car. That way you can't stall for time. We can leave when we decide." John placed an arm around Dean's shoulders and followed Officer Hardy down the hall to the elevators.

"I don't like this." Bobby whispered once the men were out of sight.

"Me either." Jim confessed opening the door to Sammy's room. "We'll give them their hour. If John and Dean aren't back at the end of that hour, we'll go get them."

"You've definitely been hanging around Caleb too long." Bobby said shaking his head. He took one more look down the hall and then followed Jim into Sammy's room to begin the long wait.


	15. Chapter 15

Previously on Supernatural- He took one more look down the hall and then followed Jim into Sammy's room to begin the long wait.

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Officer Hardy led the Winchesters into the police station stopping them in the lobby. "Alright, Mr. Winchester. You and Dean go sit on that bench while I get the chief." He directed pointing to an empty bench in the hallway. He watched the two men walk over and sit down before proceeding down the hall to the chief's office. Knocking on the door he shuffled from foot to foot dreading Lloyd's reaction to his news. Hearing the chief's "enter" Hardy opened the door and walked inside.

Officer Lloyd glanced up from the autopsy report as Hardy came in. "Did you bring the Winchesters in?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Officer Hardy replied. "But I'm afraid we've got a problem."

"Great! What now?" Lloyd exclaimed throwing the report on his desk. "Winchester get himself a lawyer already?"

"No sir. It's worse." Hardy started. "Dr. Chaplin's decided to stick his nose in the case. He said we have one hour to fingerprint the two and get them back to the hospital or he'll call his friend Looper."

"Crap. Looper's the last person I want to deal with right now. He's a bigger pain than the mayor." Lloyd admitted as he began pacing once more. "What's with everyone trying to tell us how to do our jobs all the sudden? Don't they have anything better to do?"

"Guess not sir." Officer Hardy agreed shaking his head. He stood patiently and watched his boss pace for a few minutes before speaking again. "What do you want to do, sir?" he asked timidly.

Lloyd stopped and rubbed his chin for a moment. "Well, the first thing we need to do is stall for time. We can say that we're getting the equipment set up. Then we need to find a way to separate the two so we can question them. We've only got an hour. We need to make the most of it." He declared. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road."

Hardy followed his boss out the door of the office and down the hall hoping that the plan would be as easy as Lloyd had said.

At the hospital

Jim flipped the magazine closed with a look of disgust. Surely they had more important things to write about than that filth. Glancing up he saw Bobby attempting to play solitaire and watch Sammy sleep at the same time. Deciding to get some answers before John and Dean got back Jim strolled over and sat on the couch beside his friend. "Bobby, did you know how bad things had gotten between John and Sam?" he began.

Bobby sighed as he put the cards down. "Not exactly. I knew John had stopped letting Sammy play with his friends. And that he was leaving Sammy alone while he and Dean did the easier hunts. Even talked to him about it." He confided.

"Talked, huh?" Jim scoffed.

"Okay, yelled" Bobby amended. "But I didn't know things had gotten bad enough for Sammy to run away. I would have stepped in and stopped it if I'd known." Standing Bobby stepped over to Sammy's bed and sank down on the edge. "We could've lost him, Jim." He whispered as he stroked the little boy's hair.

"But we didn't" Jim reminded walking up behind Bobby and placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I'm going to make sure nothing like this happens again. Even if I have to throw the old fool out a window to get the point across."

Chuckling Bobby turned his head to look at the preacher. "What is it with you and windows?"

Pastor Jim shrugged as he headed for the door. "Guess Caleb really is rubbing off on me." He suggested with a grin. "I'm going to go get us some more coffee. Anything you want while I'm gone?"

"Nah" Bobby said as he focused his attention back on the sleeping Winchester. "I've got all I need right here."

Smiling Jim opened the door and stepped outside. Walking down the hall thinking of the sermon he was going to deliver to John, Jim never noticed the door to the supply closet slide shut.

At the station

"Afternoon, Mr. Winchester." Lloyd greeted. "Sorry about the delay. The technicians are getting the fingerprinting set up as we speak." Staring down at Dean he put the second part of his hastily made plan into action. "Dean, why don't you come with me? We've got a nice children's room in the back. I'm sure you could find something to play with while you wait."

John saw through the ploy in a heartbeat. Pulling Dean closer he glared at the chief. "We're not separating." He growled. "And I happen to know there's nothing for you to set up. So why don't you quit stalling and fingerprint us already."

"Been in a police station before, Mr. Winchester?" Lloyd quizzed sitting next to the angry man. "What was the charge that time?"

"My dad's never been arrested!" Dean shouted jumping to his feet.

"Sit down, Dean." John ordered as he attempted to calm himself down. Crossing his arms he tucked his hands under his armpits to keep himself from decking the man in front of him. He knew Officer Lloyd was trying to rile him up and he was determined not to fall in the trap. Staring down at his watch John allowed himself a small smile. "Time's wasting, gentlemen. You better get your "technicians" to hurry it up. Dean and I are out of here in twenty minutes with or without fingerprints."

"And just how do you intend to get back to the hospital?" Lloyd ground out.

Pulling his keys out of his pocket John gave the officer a mega watt grin. "We came prepared." He boasted. "Now how about fingerprinting us so we can be on our way?"

Officer Lloyd's eyes lit up when he saw the car keys. "Oh we will. Right after we search your car for evidence." He said reaching for the keys.

John quickly dropped his keys back in his pocket as the smile slid from his face. "Gotta search warrant? Cause you're not getting near my car without one." He growled.

"That can be arranged, Mr. Winchester." Lloyd threatened standing up. "Excuse me. I need to see if things are ready for you." Turning Lloyd disappeared up the hallway leaving John and Dean wondering what the man was planning to try next.

At the hospital

Paul stepped out of the supply closet and adjusted his lab coat. Glancing down the hallway after the priest he smiled. _"Now to get that picture."_ He thought as he walked toward the door of one Sammy Winchester. He slowly opened the door with one hand while reaching for his camera with the other. Stepping into the room he was surprised to see a bear of a man glaring up at him. Thinking quickly he grabbed the stolen stethoscope and held it up. "Excuse me, sir. Just need to check the patient's vitals."

"That's funny. Sammy's nurse was in here not five minutes ago doing that very thing." Bobby said as he got up and placed himself between Sammy and the stranger.

"Oh, well" Paul stammered. "Uhh, I just started my shift and this was the first thing on my list to do. Now if you don't mind I'd like to" The rest of his sentence was cut off as the door behind him opened and Jim stepped in.

Pastor Jim almost dropped the cups of coffee he was carrying when he saw the intruder in Sammy's room. "I thought I made it clear you were to stay away from this hospital." He declared as he placed the coffee down on the table.

"This that reporter you told me about?" Bobby asked.

"Give that man a prize." Paul crowed. "Took you long enough to figure it out, gramps. Now if you'll just move outta my way, I have a job to do."

"Jim, you want me to open a window for you?" Bobby ground out as he advanced on the young reporter. "Or do you want me to take out the trash?"

"You know, I think I'm in the mood for some fun." Jim began grinning at the confused expression on the reporter's face. "Remember that prank Dean and Johnny played on Caleb after he talked Sammy into painting himself."

"I like the way you think, P.M." Bobby praised as he herded the reporter in the direction of the open bathroom door. "Let's do it!" He pushed the young reporter into the bathroom and followed closing the door behind them.

Sammy's room was extremely quiet except for the occasional sound of scuffling and voices that came from the bathroom. Minutes later the bathroom door opening and closing was heard along with a muffled voice.

Nurse Pickford was making her way down the hall to check on a patient before leaving for the day. Hearing a door open behind her she turned to see if they needed something. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide as she took in the sight in front of her. There standing in the middle of the hall was a naked man! Seeing another nurse come out of a room farther up the hall she motioned for the woman to call security and the psych ward. This was definitely a cry for help. Deciding she needed to keep the young man there until security could get him she spoke softly and calmly. "Sir? Sir, it's alright. We're going to get you some help, okay? Just calm down. Everything's going to be fine.

Bobby stood leaning against the door struggling not to disturb Sammy. He listened as the young reporter was hauled away by security screaming that they were making a mistake. Wiping the tears from his eyes he glanced over at Jim who was shaking with laughter. "Guess we don't have to worry about him for awhile. Man that was a hoot! Can't wait to show the guys the picture we took." He gloated setting the captured camera on the table. Hearing a soft groan he spun around glancing at the bed. He watched as Sammy shifted in the bed a few times and then slowly opened his eyes. _"Well shit!"_ Bobby thought as frightened eyes scanned the room before focusing on him.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading and enjoying this story. And a big thank you to the good folks who have left reviews. You guys are the best!

Previously on Supernatural-_"Well shit!"_ Bobby thought as frightened eyes scanned the room before focusing on him.

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Officer Lloyd was beside himself with anger as he watched the Winchesters being fingerprinted. He hadn't been able to get either of them to say anything after their initial conversation. And time was running out. Glancing at the clock hanging on the far wall Lloyd hoped that Stan would return soon with a search warrant for John Winchester's vehicle. Then he'd be able to interrogate the Winchesters while other officers searched the car for the evidence that he knew had to be there. Mentally preparing himself for the task ahead he stood by the door debating which questions should be asked and in what order. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he jumped at the sudden hand on his shoulder. Shaking his head to clear his jumbled thoughts Lloyd looked over at Stan hopefully and begged, "Please tell me you've got some good news?"

"Sorry, sir" Officer Stan apologized staring down at his feet. "Judge O'Quinn refused to grant a search warrant for the vehicle. He said we didn't have any basis for a warrant and that the evidence we did have actually worked in Winchester's favor."

"Judge O'Quinn?!" Lloyd whispered harshly. "What the hell did you go to him for? He rarely grants a warrant unless we have a boatload of evidence already! I told you to go to Judge Adams! He'll sign off on just about anything."

"Judge Adams is out of town until next week, sir." Stan reminded him. "O'Quinn was the only judge I could find on short notice." Looking over as an officer began fingerprinting the younger Winchester he quietly asked, "We're going to have to let them go, aren't we?"

Officer Lloyd leaned against the wall sagging as his plan fell apart right before his eyes. "Yes we will. At least for now. But I'm not giving up. Winchester killed those two people and I intend to do everything in my power to make sure he pays for it." He swore scowling at the accused man.

John watched as the officer finished fingerprinting his oldest son. He handed Dean a handy wipe to clean the ink off his fingers and then turned toward the door. "Come on champ! Time to get out of here and head back to Sammy." He announced as he took a hold of Dean's shoulder and led the way out of the room. Pausing beside the chief John grinned and said, "We'll be going now. You know where to find us."

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you." Lloyd spat out. "I'm going to make sure you end up right where you belong: behind bars!"

John gave the officer a mock salute before pushing the doors open and walking down the hall and out of sight.

At the hospital

"Hey there, Sammy" Bobby greeted as he slowly walked towards the bed. "Look who's here!"

Jim stepped up to the bed and stood beside Bobby. Smiling at the frightened child he said, "Hello, Sammy. How are you doing, buddy?"

Sammy searched the room for his father and brother once more. Craning his neck he attempted to look around Jim and Bobby. Unable to see his family Sammy started to panic. _"Where are they? They're always here when I'm sick." _He thought his breathing speeding up as horrible thoughts began racing through his mind. _"What if they're hurt? What if Mrs. Brooks has them? She'll hurt them like she did Amy! I've gotta go find them!" _Decision made he tossed the covers off himself and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Whoa, Sammy!" Bobby called as he gently grabbed the little boy's shoulders to stop him from standing. Noticing the gasping breaths and the panicked expression on Sammy's face, Bobby knelt down and tugged Sam's chin up so they were eye to eye. "It's alright, Sammy. Your daddy and Dean are fine. They just went out to get us some decent food. They'll be back any minute. Right, Jim?"

"He's right, Sammy. Your dad and Dean are coming right back." Jim soothed as he rubbed the little boy's back. He continued mumbling words of comfort smiling as Sammy's breathing slowly returned to its normal pattern. "Way to go, Sammy!" Jim praised. "Now let's get you settled back into bed okay?" Jim sighed as Sammy firmly shook his head and refused to budge from his spot.

"What's a matter, Sammy?" Bobby asked standing back up.

Instead of answering Sammy stared from Bobby to Jim and back sizing them up. After a few seconds of scrutiny, Sammy's tear filled eyes landed on Bobby and his arms reached out to his uncle.

Jim had to blink his own tears out of his eyes as he watched Bobby pick up the youngest Winchester who immediately latched onto the man's shirt with what had to be a painful grip. As soon as Bobby sat on the bed Sammy curled into a ball still holding onto Bobby for dear life. Knowing he needed to get John and Dean here now, Jim whispered, "I'll be right back." Quickly walking out of the room he leaned against the wall and took a moment to regain his composure before starting down the hall to the nearest phone.

In the impala

Dean sat in the passenger seat of the impala frowning. They needed to get back to Sammy and the hospital quickly. They didn't have time to do this, this, crap. Sparing another glance at the odometer he noted with disgust that his petal to the metal dad was still going the actual speed limit. Wondering if his dad had somehow been possessed by the spirit of a little old lady, Dean decided to test out his theory. Clearing his throat dramatically he put his fist to his mouth. _"cough"_ "Cristo!" _"cough"_

John's eyebrows shot up and he turned shocked eyes on his eldest. "What the hell, Dean?!" he asked incredulously. "You think I'm possessed?!"

"Well, yeah" Dean replied sheepishly as he met his father's gaze. "You're actually driving the speed limit, dad! I figured you must be possessed by some old granny demon." Smirking as a cartoon image came to mind he added, "You know like that old broad in those Sylvester and Tweety cartoons Sammy watches."

"Funny, Dean" John said in mock exasperation as he tried to hide his own smile. He allowed himself a few seconds to enjoy his son's joke before turning serious. "Use your rearview mirror to look behind us and tell me what you see."

Dean stared into the rearview mirror taking in every detail of the cars behind them. It only took him a second to spot the problem. "We've got a tail." He told his dad. "That green car was at the police station when we left."

"Great job, Dean" John praised grinning as Dean practically beamed. "See, I'm not possessed. I have to go the speed limit. I can't give them a reason to arrest me and take you into protective custody. Understand?"

"Yes, sir" Dean automatically responded. He watched the green car for a few minutes chuckling. "Those guys suck at being inconspicuous." He told his dad. "We could do way better in the impala. . .in broad daylight. . .with rainbows and flowers painted all over the ca."

Both Winchesters shuddered at the image of their precious baby covered in psychedelic colors.

After a few minutes, Dean broke the silence that had descended. "Sorry, dad. I kinda got carried away."

"Hope that's all it was. Otherwise I'd be forced to do the same thing to you that we did to Caleb when he got Sammy to paint himself all different colors." John told him laughing at the horrified expression on Dean's face.

At the hospital

Jim walked back into Sammy's room to find the others just as he'd left them. Seeing Bobby's questioning look Jim sadly shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Not wanting to upset the youngest Winchester again he pasted a smile he didn't feel on his face and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "Okay, Sammy. What would you li"

"Excuse me sirs" Nurse Pickford began as she entered Sammy's room. "I just needed to ask a few questions about an incident in the hallway outside your room a while ago."

"An incident?" Jim asked innocently sharing a look with Bobby.

Noticing the men's glances she quizzed, "Did you have any unusual visitors today?"

"We sure did." Bobby replied stepping on Jim's foot as a warning to be silent. "This young guy came in here saying something about wanting to be famous. Then he just started taking off his clothes still ranting about how famous he was gonna be after this. Jim and I were worried about what he might do next so we threw him out the door before he could do anything else." He explained.

"That's his clothes over there." Jim added pointing to the pile in the corner.

"That's all I needed." Nurse Pickford said as she snatched up the clothing. "Thank you for the information, gentlemen. That will help the doctors with their assessment."

"I do hope you can help that poor young man." Jim stated as the nurse made her way to the door.

"Thank you." Nurse Pickford replied before stepping out the door.

Jim waited several minutes to make sure the nurse wasn't coming back before turning to Bobby. "I can't believe you told her that ridiculous story." He ground out.

"Hey, it was sort of the truth." Bobby defended. "He did say the picture would make him famous."

"Not the same and you know" Jim's sentence was cut off as someone knocked on the door. Getting up he silently made his way to the door and peered out. Smiling he opened the door for the visitors. "Look who came to see you, Sammy!" he exclaimed as Caleb and Josh walked into the room. All eyes focused on Sammy who stayed burrowed against Bobby's chest.

Caleb and Josh shared looks of confusion. They didn't know what to make of the scene in front of them. The little bundle of energy that was Sammy Winchester was sitting still acting like a frightened rabbit. They turned to Jim for an explanation but he motioned them forward with a fake smile plastered on his face. Taking the hint the two men attempted to smile as they slowly walked to the bed. "Howdy, shrimp!" Caleb greeted as cheerfully as he could. "Josh and I heard you were here. Thought you might like some company."

"Yeah, sport." Josh broke in. "And we brought you a couple of presents so you won't get bored." Taking a book out of a small bag he handed it to Sammy and said, "Here. It's an encyclopedia of dinosaurs. It tells everything you ever wanted to know about the giant beasts."

Sammy glanced at the book for a second before throwing it on the bed and grabbing Josh's arm. He pulled on his uncle's arm until Josh sat down on the bed beside Bobby. Sammy then released his hold and leaned back against Bobby.

"Okay, that was weird." Caleb mumbled under his breath. Reaching out he stroked Sammy's hair smiling when the little boy stared up at him. "Hey, kiddo. Guess you didn't like the book, huh? What about this?" Caleb asked as he produced a bag of his own. Pulling a stuffed T-Rex out of the bag he slowly handed it to Sammy who immediately clutched it tightly with one hand while snagging Caleb's wrist with the other. "What is it, Sammy? You want me on the bed, too?" Caleb quizzed as he was pulled to sit between Bobby and Josh who had scooted over to make room.

All four men watched sadly as Sammy seemed to curl back into himself the stuffed dinosaur held against his chest. They sat silently on the bed for several minutes focused solely on the littlest Winchester who seemed oblivious to all the attention surrounding him. He did however notice even the slightest shift by the men and would reach out and grab the moving person not letting go until they stilled.

Not being able to stand the quiet any longer Bobby looked over at the other men and asked, "How did you two get here so fast?"

"Easy" Caleb stated. "We rushed through the job and then hauled a. ."

"Caleb!" Jim hissed. "Watch it!"

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Little pitchers have big ears." Jim reminded motioning to Sammy.

"You've got to be kidding!" Caleb grumbled. "You do remember who he lives with, don't you?"

"Of course" Jim replied. "But just because John does something, it doesn't mean you should, too."

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Caleb cried out. Hearing Sammy whimper Caleb spun around and was met with Sammy's puppy eyes. "Sorry, Sammy. I didn't mean to yell." He apologized as he began stroking the little boy's hair.

Jim sat on the bed watching as Caleb and Bobby attempted to comfort Sammy. Looking at the youngest Winchester he prayed that John and Dean got back soon.

Dean stood waiting impatiently for the elevator to make it to the Pediatrics floor. After what had felt like hours in the car, he was more than ready to get back to his little brother. Glancing up at the numbers he grinned as the four finally lit up. As soon as the doors opened he dashed out of the elevator and around the nurse's station. Racing down the hall he noticed a figure walking towards Sammy's room. Doubling his pace, Dean ran yelling, "STOP! Don't you dare go in there!"

AN- Sorry it took so long to post. Hope the length made up for the wait.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

A big thank you to ziggy.uk for the great idea! It was perfect for this chapter!

Previously on Supernatural- Doubling his pace, Dean ran yelling, "STOP! Don't you dare go in there!"

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Hearing a shout to stop Felix turned to see a young boy running up to him. When the boy skidded to a halt beside him, Felix held up his hand. "Howdy kid! What's the rush?" he asked adjusting his hat and bowtie.

Dean stepped between Sammy's door and the stranger and then answered. "Had to stop you before you got inside. This is my kid brother's room and I can't let you go in there. Nobody goes in his room except for family and friends. And you ain't either one."

Sticking out his gloved hand Felix smiled and introduced himself. "I can fix that. Name's Zippo the Clown! I come to the Pediatrics ward every week to see the kids." Zippo stood uncomfortably for a few seconds before withdrawing his hand. "Oookay. Now that you know me how about moving so I can go inside and cheer up that little brother of yours."

"How about you go away and don't come back?" Dean snapped back crossing his arms over his chest. "My brother doesn't want to see you."

Zippo let out an exasperated sigh. He really hated teenagers. "Look kid. The hospital gives me a list of all the kids that don't like clowns or can't have visitors and you're brother isn't on it." He explained waving a piece of paper in Dean's face. "So get outta the way and let me do my job!"

Dean settled into the defense stance his father had taught him while glaring daggers at the colorfully dressed man. "Listen Dumbo!"

"It's Zippo!" Felix screeched.

"Whatever" Dean replied. "I'm not letting you in. My little brother's terrified of clowns!"

"Really?" Zippo asked smugly. "Then why is he on this end of the ward? They never put children who are scared of clowns on this side because of the mural."

"Mural? What mural?" Dean questioned.

Zippo shook his head. "You haven't noticed the mural? Kid it takes up the whole wall. Look!" he stated pointing to the wall next to Sam's door.

Dean slid back a bit and glanced at the wall eyes widening as he took in the circus mural that was painted all down the hallway. Groaning at the clowns that circled Sammy's door Dean shifted his focus back to the live clown in front of him. "Doesn't change a thing." He growled out. "You're still not getting in the room. Just ask my dad." He added as he watched his father walk up behind the clown.

"Can I help you?" John asked smirking as the clown jumped at the sound of his voice.

Zippo took in the father's calm expression and smiled. After all, parents always loved to see him. "Morning sir. Zippo's the name. I'm here to entertain your son for a few minutes." He explained holding out his hand.

John stared down at the gloved hand in disgust for a moment before pinning the clown with a fierce look. "Sorry Bozo"

"It's ZIPPO!" the clown shouted. "Not Dumbo or Bozo but Zippo. Z-I-P-P-O, Zippo! Got it?"

"Whatever" John replied shrugging. "I don't care what you call yourself. You're not going into my son's room. So move on before Dean and I decide to play "Operation"."

Seeing the glint in the man's eyes Zippo carefully backed away from the crazy family. "I'll be talking to the hospital staff about you!" he threatened as he opened the door to the next room and quickly stepped inside.

"Man I thought he'd never leave." Dean breathed out as he slowly opened the door to his brother's room. Walking inside Dean and John shared amused glances at the sight of the four grown hunters squished together on the small bed. "Are the chairs that bad or did you guys decide to act out Five Little Monkeys for Sammy?" Dean quipped grinning from ear to ear. His grin fell away when he saw the state his little brother was in.

Taking in the worried expressions on the other men's faces, John stepped up to the bed to ask what was wrong and was thrown backwards as Sammy leapt onto his chest. Staggering backwards from the force of Sammy's jump John would have fallen if Caleb and Joshua hadn't steadied him. Once he adjusted to the added weight John walked over and plopped down on the now empty bed. Staring down at his baby boy who was clinging to him for dear life he started slowly rocking in an attempt to calm his clearly terrified son. Peering up at his friends he quietly asked, "What happened, Bobby?"

Bobby settled himself into one of the chairs by the bed. Taking off his cap he squeezed the brim several times before replacing it on his head and answering. "He woke up and freaked when he couldn't find you and Dean." He began. "We managed to get him calmed down a little but then he started pulling us onto the bed with him. Wouldn't let us get up or even move. Guess he was afraid we'd leave, too."

"Shit!" John blurted up wincing as Sammy started. "I knew we shouldn't have left!"

Dean took a seat on the bed beside his father and brother. He slowly rubbed up and down Sammy's arm watching as his little brother slowly started to relax. He smiled as Sammy reached out taking Dean's hand in his own. He was just beginning to enjoy the quiet when he heard a soft knock at the door. "That better not be who I think it is." He mumbled standing as the door was pushed open. He watched curiously as a man in a wheelchair started making his way into the room.

At the station

Officer Lloyd sat in his office shaking his head. He had been sure the fingerprints would match one of the Winchesters but the report in his hand said otherwise. Standing up he stepped over to the window and looked out. "Hardy tell me what we've got so far." He ordered without turning around.

Hardy hesitantly walked over to stand beside Lloyd. "Well, we know both victims died between 11:30-12:30. The girl was killed by a blow to the head with a fireplace poker and the mother was killed by a single gunshot to the head. Fingerprints found on the poker belong to Mrs. Brooks, the victim, and an unknown person. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks' prints were found on the gun and there was gunshot residue on Mrs. Brooks' hands."

"Right, which means that Mrs. Brooks was holding the gun when she was killed." Lloyd decided. "But why? Did the killer make her shoot herself and if he did how?"

"Maybe the killer told her he wouldn't hurt the girl if Mrs. Brooks killed herself." Hardy surmised. "Or maybe Mrs. Brooks couldn't stand what happened to her daughter and took her own life."

"Too many maybe's Hardy and time's running out." Lloyd griped before returning to his desk. "We've got to find out who the other prints belong to. I think it's time to start fingerprinting the Brooks' staff."

At the hospital

Noticing that the man was having difficulty holding the door open, maneuvering his wheelchair, and holding onto the basket of magazines on his lap, Jim quickly walked over and held the door. He scrutinized the older man taking in the bent fingers and the weak pushes of the chair. Seeing the volunteer badge on the man's jacket Jim stepped in front of the wheelchair. "Hello, I'm Jim" he greeted as he carefully shook the man's hand.

"My name's John." The older man said in a raspy voice. "I just stopped by to see if anyone would like a magazine or a book to read." Looking around at the hunters he smiled. "Afraid I don't have much for adults."

"That's alright." Jim assured. "These guys only read when forced anyway." Ignoring the muttered protests he smiled at their visitor and asked, "Do you have anything a little boy might like? Sammy loves to read. Right, kiddo?"

All eyes fell on Sammy who was now sitting up and quietly staring at the basket in the man's lap. Encouraged by the change in his son John motioned for the volunteer to come closer.

Mr. John slowly wheeled over and parked in front of the Winchesters. "Hello there young fellow. My name's Mr. John but you can call me Johnny." Gazing at the silent young man Mr. John smiled. "You know I live just down the street from you. My wife and I have seen you and your big brother here playing soccer in your yard. You're very good at it."

"Wait you've watched the boys play?" John asked suspiciously as he tightened his grip on Sammy.

"Yes, sir." Mr. John replied. "You'll have to forgive me. I didn't mean to offend you or anything like that. It's just that we don't get out much. Our daughters are grown and have moved away. And in my shape we can't go visit and they don't have time. It gets awful lonely at the house sometimes. So my wife and I like to sit on the porch in the evenings and just watch all the activity."

Dean focused on Sammy while the men talked. Following his little brother's stare, he saw that Sam's eyes were glued to the basket of books and magazines. Interrupting the grown up's conversation Dean asked, "Mr. John, Sammy's really into books. Do you have something he could read?"

Mr. John rubbed his chin for a minute thinking. "I bet I know what Sammy here would like." He told Dean as he pulled an old book out of the small pouch attached to his chair. "This is the very first book in a series called The Hardy Boys. It's about the adventures a young boy named Joe and his big brother Frank have as they try to solve different mysteries. How does that sound, Sammy? Would you like to read it?" Mr. John smiled as Sam nodded his head. "Sammy, I'm afraid my eyesight's not as good as it used to be. You're going to have to tell me yes or no. Can you do that, son?"

Dean scowled. _"Who did this guy think he was coming in here and trying to make Sammy talk?" _Releasing Sam's hand Dean started to reach over and grab the book but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw his father sternly shake his head and motion at his little brother. Dean glanced over at Sammy in time to see his little brother open his mouth and whisper, "Yes, please" as he reached for the offered book.

At the Brooks

Hardy and Stan knocked on the door of the Brooks home and stepped back to wait. Smiling at Maria they tipped their hats and followed her into one of the back rooms of the house. Seeing Mr. Brooks seated at his desk they walked over and Hardy spoke. "Mr. Brooks, I'm afraid we're going to need a list of all the house staff."

"What for?" Mr. Brooks questioned as he continued to add entries to his record book.

"We need to fingerprint the staff so we can eliminate them as suspects." Hardy told him.

At that Mr. Brooks slammed his book shut, and raised his head glaring at the officers. "Why? You already know who did it. You should be out arresting John Winchester not harassing my staff!" he yelled.

"We're just trying to be thorough, sir" Stan fibbed. "You don't want the case being thrown out on a technicality do you?"

"Of, of course not" Brooks stammered as he opened his desk and rifled through the papers inside. Pulling one out he handed it to the officers. "Here's a complete list of all the employees at the house. Now go and do whatever you need to do to bring my wife and daughter's killer to justice!"

At the hospital

Dr. Chaplin walked into Sammy's room and smiled at the sight before him. Sammy was sitting up reading a book with a stuffed dinosaur held securely by his side. Stepping over to the bed the doctor checked the little boy's chart before moving over to take a look at the dog bite. He took his time examining the bite marks on Sammy's arm. When he finished, he took off his gloves and threw them in the trash and then sat down next to Sammy and John. "The bite marks look much better today. There's still a little redness at the sight and he still has a bit of a fever but all and all I'd say he's recovering nicely. I think we can take the IV out. He'll still need to take an antibiotic but we'll switch him to pills this afternoon." He told the men.

Putting on a clean pair of gloves he turned to Sammy he said, "Sammy, I'm going to take the IV out of your hand now. You might feel a little pinch okay?" Dr. Chaplin watched as Sammy fearfully leaned back against John and snatched Dean's hand holding it in a vice like grip. Once the little boy was situated, the doctor carefully pulled the tape off Sam's hand and then slowly slid the needle out wincing at Sammy's hiss of pain. Dr. Chaplin held a cotton ball over the site to stop any bleeding and secured it with another piece of tape. "All done, Sammy." He stated as he patted the child's head. He frowned as the little boy shrunk away from him burying himself in his father's shirt. Looking into those wide puppy eyes Chaplin smiled and said, "Hey little man, I've got some good news for you. You eat all your lunch and supper and take your medicine and I might just be able to send you home with your, ummm, family. What do you say?"

Sammy's eyes dropped to his lap as he ignored the doctor completely.

The doctor glanced up at John and whispered, "Don't tell anyone this but I thought Sammy deserved something better than crappy hospital food after everything he's been through. So I brought him something special."Dr. Chaplin reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a chicken nugget meal. Setting the bag in Sam's lap he chuckled as the little boy immediately dove into the bag and ripped into the nuggets. Looking around he noticed that all the men seemed to be focused on the little boy in the bed. Curious the doctor cleared his throat to get the men's attention and then asked, "Excuse me, can I ask a stupid question?"

"Better than anybody." Dean quipped.

"Dean!" John and Jim both scolded frowning as they heard the others attempting to stifle their snickers.

"What?" Dean questioned innocently.

"It's alright John. I kinda asked for that." Dr. Chaplin conceded. "I was just wondering where all the ladies are in this family."

"There aren't any" Jim piped up. "Guess we're just not what the ladies are looking for." Hearing the angry mumbling from Caleb and Josh's corner he grinned and added, "Watch your mouths, boys! Remember little pitchers."

The chorus of groans at that announcement had Jim laughing out loud.

At the station

Hardy snatched the piece of paper from the fingerprint expert and practically flew to the chief's office. Not bothering to knock he raced inside and shoved the paper at Lloyd. "We've got a match, sir! The other prints belong to Maria, the housekeeper that called 911!" He exclaimed.

Lloyd smiled for the first time since the whole mess had been dumped in his lap. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her in!" he instructed.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Lloyd smiled for the first time since the whole mess had been dumped in his lap. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her in!" he instructed.

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Sammy reached into the happy meal bag searching for more fries. Coming up with nothing but the prize he tilted the bag and peered inside just to make sure. Finding it empty Sammy tossed the prize onto the bed and gave his dad his sad puppy expression.

"Look away Johnny! It's Sammy Winchester and his puppy eyes of doom! No one can resist the puppy eyes!" Caleb quipped grinning at his friend. That grin turned into an all out smile when a confused Sammy glanced over cocking his head to stare at Caleb. _"Kid doesn't even realize the power that one look has on everybody around him." _Caleb thought as he watched the little boy turn the look back on his father.

John chuckled at Sammy's reaction to Caleb's joke glad that Sammy didn't know the hold he had on people when he gave them that look. He waited until Sammy's attention was on him once again before asking, "You still hungry, kiddo?" Seeing Sammy's nod John started to get off the bed. "Okay. I'll go get some. . ."

"NO!" Sammy shouted grabbing his dad's arm and pulling him back onto the bed. As soon as John was sitting Sammy threw his arms around his father's waist and held on tight.

John picked up his trembling little boy while mentally berating himself for scaring Sammy again. "Its okay, Sammy. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here." John murmured as he rubbed circles in Sam's back.

Joshua watched the scene playing out in front of him with a heavy heart. Feeling a strong desire to flee he quickly stood and made his way to the door. "I'll go get the food, John." He threw over his shoulder as he ducked out the door.

"I'll go with him." Bobby said as he climbed out the crappy hospital chair and headed for the door. Opening the door he called out "Don't worry Dean. We'll get enough for everybody" and then left to catch up with Joshua.

At the Brooks residence

Hearing a knock on the door Maria walked over to the window and glanced out. Spotting the police car in the driveway she hurried to the door opening it without a second thought. "Good afternoon, officer." She greeted as she showed the man inside.

Hardy hesitantly stepped into the house. He really didn't want to do this. "Afternoon ma'am. Sorry to bother you but I need you to come with me. The chief has a few questions about yesterday's events." He told the young woman.

Maria shook her head as she listened to the officer. "I'm sorry but I can't leave right now. Mr. Brooks is upstairs and he left strict instructions not to be disturbed. I am in charge of the house and everyone in it. Between watching Joey, taking care of the house, and answering the phone and door, I have my hands full. Do you know that we've had so many visitors this morning the gardener had to disable the doorbell? Reporters and so called friends seem to be coming out of the woodwork. I can't believe how twisted some people are."

"I'm sorry about your morning, ma'am. But you really need to come to the station. The chief needs your help." Hardy said. "Isn't there someone who could take over for just a little while?"

Maria thought for a moment. "I guess Angela could cover for me if we aren't going to be long." She conceded. "Give me a few minutes to fill her in on what needs to be done."

"Take your time ma'am. I'll wait right here." Hardy assured watching the housekeeper walk over to the stairs, take Joey by the hand, and walk out of the room. Leaning against the wall Hardy hoped he was doing the right thing. Too many people had already been hurt by this case.

At the hospital

Lloyd stepped out of the elevator and walked around the nurse's station. Seeing Dr. Chaplin conversing with a nurse the officer tipped his hat in greeting and was going to continue on his way when he saw the doctor motioning for him to stop. He stood and patiently waited for the man to finish.

After a few minutes, the doctor said goodbye to the nurse and turned angry eyes on Lloyd. Dr. Chaplin stomped over to the officer pinning him with a glare. "Wish I could say it was nice to see you but that's not the case. My patient's been through enough without you and your men harassing his family." Chaplin ground out. "I don't want you making things worse."

"Hold on a minute doc. I'm not here to harass anyone. I'm here to apologize. It appears we were wrong about Mr. Winchester." Lloyd admitted sheepishly.

"Bout time you figured that out." Dr. Chaplin griped. "Maybe now Sammy can start healing."

"How is the kid?" Lloyd asked.

"He's a little better. And I want to keep it that way so you need to leave your utility belt here at the nurse's station before you go to his room." Dr. Chaplin instructed. "I don't want you causing another panic attack by walking in there with a gun."

"Utility belt? Makes me sound like Batman." Lloyd laughed as he unfastened the belt and handed it to the nurse behind the desk. "Okay, the belt's gone. So can I go now or do you have more requests?"

"Go ahead." Dr. Chaplin replied. "Just be careful. I don't want to have to come sedate the little guy again because you did or said something stupid."

"Your confidence in me is overwhelming Doc." Lloyd muttered as he made his way down the hall. Stopping outside Sammy's door the officer took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." He mumbled as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Jim and Caleb looked up as Lloyd walked into the room. Noticing the uniform Jim stood and asked, "Can we help you?"

Ignoring the question Lloyd walked past the men and stepped up beside the bed. "Mr. Winchester, I wanted to personally tell you that some new evidence has come to light clearing both you and your son." Lloyd informed them. "I'm sorry for any trouble we may have caused you during the investigation. We were just doing our job."

"And that's supposed to make everything alright?" John angrily whispered. "Well sorry to burst your bubble but your apology ain't worth squat."

"I think you'd better leave officer." Jim advised coming up behind the man.

"I'm going. I just want to give this to Sammy first." Lloyd replied holding up a bag. Looking down at Sammy Lloyd smiled at the little boy. "Hello again Sammy. I've got something special for you." Lloyd said as he handed the bag to the little boy. He watched as Sammy pulled the stuffed police bear out of the bag, stared at it for a moment, and then threw it forcefully across the room. "Oookay, guess I'll leave now. Sorry about everything Mr. Winchester. If there's anything I can do to help with Sammy's recovery, just give me a call at the station." With that Lloyd turned and quickly made his way out the door.

At the station

Hardy showed Maria and Joey to a bench in one corner of the station. "I'll be right back." He told Maria as he started down the hall to the chief's office. Spotting a note on the door he snatched it off frowning as he read. After rereading his instructions, he stuffed the note into his pocket and walked back over to the bench. "Afraid there's been a little delay. The chief got called out of the station on an emergency so you going to have to wait." He informed Maria. "Why don't I show you to the children's playroom? That way Joey will have something to do while you wait for the chief to return."

"That would be nice. Thank you." Maria said. Taking Joey's hand she followed Officer Hardy down the hall to the small playroom and settled in for a long wait.

At the hospital

"We're back!" Bobby announced as he and Josh tromped into the room carrying several bags. Pulling the tray table over to Sammy's bed Bobby started setting out boxes of chicken nuggets and fries while Josh passed out the sodas. As soon as all the food was unpacked the men tucked into their meals glancing every so often at the two boys in the bed who were happily scarfing down their share of the nuggets and fries. Once the feast had been devoured Josh reached into the bag on the floor beside him and pulled out an ice cream cake grinning as Dean and Sammy's eyes lit up. He made short work of cutting big slices for the boys before cutting slightly smaller pieces for the others.

Nurse Pickford came in just as the boys dug into their cake. Taking in the discarded food bags and boxes she placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. "Hospital food not good enough for you, gentlemen?" she asked struggling to keep a frown on her face.

"Uh oh, guys! We're caught!" Caleb whispered fighting his own grin. "Nurse Pickford, do you think you could cut us a break just this once? There's still a slice of ice cream cake left."

"Are you trying to bribe me, young man?" Nurse Pickford questioned as her frown began to slip.

"Is it working?" Caleb fired back holding up the piece of cake.

"You better believe it." The nurse replied allowing her smile to come shining through. "Ice cream cake is my favorite!" She quickly went about her business taking Sammy's vitals and ruffling his hair when she finished. After writing the various numbers on his chart, Nurse Pickford snagged the cake from Caleb and started for the door. "Thanks guys! I'll be back to check on Sammy in a little while." She informed them. "Say around supper time."

At the station

Lloyd walked into the playroom and took a seat next to Maria. After checking to make sure Joey wasn't near them, the officer turned to Maria and began his questioning. "Maria, you said that Mrs. Brooks brought Amy home because of a fight at school, right?"

"Yes sir" Maria answered. "She said the school had called her and that Ms. Amy was suspended for fighting with some other girls."

"And what happened after she told you about the fight?" Lloyd quizzed.

"She told me to leave." Maria replied. "I tried to talk her into letting me stay but she refused. She threatened to fire me if I didn't leave right away."

"Did that make you mad?" Lloyd pressed. "Is that why you killed her?"


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

A/N- Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going out of town. My niece was accepted into Disney's Career Start program so I'm headed to Orlando to take her to her new home and job. I'll be back Monday night, weather permitting.

Previously on Supernatural-"Did that make you mad?" Lloyd pressed. "Is that why you killed her?"

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Officers Keaton and Arbuckle walked down the hospital hallway stopping at Sammy's door. Keaton pulled the door open and stuck his head inside. "Knock, knock. Anybody home?" he quipped before stepping in the room with his partner.

John looked up and smiled at the two men as they made their way into the small room. "Keaton! Arbuckle! Good to see you." He greeted shaking the men's hands.

Jim watched his friend and the police officers converse for several minutes. Finally giving up on John remembering his manners he cleared his throat garnering everyone's attention. "John, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry Jim." John replied. "Guys, meet Officers Keaton and Arbuckle, the best cops on the force. They're the ones who helped me and Dean search for Sammy. Officers this is the boys' cousin, Caleb and their uncles Jim, Bobby, and Josh." John stated pointing out each man in turn.

Staring at the group of men scattered around the room Keaton whistled. "Man, I feel like I just stepped onto The Dukes of Hazzard set. Bobby is even wearing a flannel shirt and an old ball cap!"

Bobby glared at the young officer. "Dukes of Hazzard, huh?" he growled. "So which one of you is that idgit sheriff?"

"And more importantly, where's Daisy?" Caleb asked pumping his eyebrows at Dean.

"Caleb!" John warned. "Don't encourage him." Motioning for the officers to take a seat he said, "Been wondering where you two were and when you'd stop by."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Since the investigation was focused on you and we were your only alibi witnesses, Arbuckle and I decided to keep our distance." Keaton explained. "We didn't want to give the detectives any reason to doubt our version of events."

"Good thinking." Pastor Jim said as he motioned for the officer to take the chair he'd just vacated. "From what little I've seen and heard about the lead officer he probably would have turned it into a conspiracy case if you had any sort of contact with John."

"Don't be too hard on Lloyd. The mayor has been breathing down his neck since this case started. He's even threatened to call in a special investigator if the murderer isn't caught by tonight." Arbuckle told them.

"That still doesn't give him the right to treat people the way he has John." Jim stated. "Pressure or not he's still an officer of the law and he should conduct himself as such."

"Amen to that. You should have heard his sorry excuse for an apology earlier. It went something along the lines of I'm sorry but I really didn't do anything wrong." Josh huffed out.

"He mentioned that he had another suspect, too." John broke in. "Do you know who he's after now?"

"Yes, and you're not going to like it." Keaton answered nervously shifting from foot to foot. His eyes momentarily slid to Sammy before focusing on the floor. "The new suspect is the Brooks' housekeeper, Maria."

At the station

"What? I didn't. . .I would never" Maria stammered shocked at the officer's accusation. Needing a moment to compose herself, she looked over to where Joey was playing with some blocks. After watching the little boy play for a few seconds, she turned angry eyes back on Officer Lloyd. Gripping the strap of her purse to keep from clocking the cop across the table from her she growled, "How dare you! I've been with the Brooks since the children were born. I would never do anything to hurt any of them!"

"That's what they all say." Lloyd commented unimpressed with the woman's speech. "But the evidence says different. Now why don't you make it easier on yourself and tell me the truth."

Shaking her head Maria pushed her chair back and stood. "I'm done here. Come on Joey! We're leaving now."

"Sorry Miss but I can't let you do that." Lloyd told her. "You're the prime suspect in a double murder."

Maria leaned over and set her hands on the table. "I may be just a housekeeper but that doesn't make me an idiot. I know that you can't hold me here without strong evidence and I know that you don't have that evidence. If you did, I would have been in handcuffs before I left the Brooks' house." She hissed. "Good day sir." Maria took Joey by the hand and stomped out the door of the playroom.

At the hospital

Sammy had been sitting and quietly reading his book all afternoon while the men around him discussed Maria's situation and attempted to come up with a way out of her mess that didn't involve Sammy recounting what he had witnessed. Hearing another knock on the door they glanced up just as a young woman entered the room.

Caleb stared intently at the young lady. Taking in her shoulder length black hair, beautiful eyes, and slim build, he nudged Dean. "I think I just found Daisy." He whispered as he continued to eye the newcomer.

Dean rolled his eyes at Caleb as he flashed a mega watt smile at the visitor. "Hey Ms. Hendrix! Checking up on your star student?" he called out smirking as Caleb's smile faltered.

"Actually I wanted to check on both of you." Ms. Hendrix replied. By the way Mrs. McLennan asked me to give you this." Ms. Hendrix tossed a small yellow bag to Dean who easily caught it eyes lighting up at the sight of the treat.

"M&Ms! Cool!" Dean hollered. "Thanks Ms. Hendrix!"

"You're welcome Dean. Just remember to thank your teacher when you come back to school." Ms. Hendrix said. Walking up beside Sammy she held out a bag of candy attached to a get well soon balloon. "Hi Sammy. I missed you in school today." She said smiling. Reaching over to brush the hair out of his face she was surprised to see him duck away from her hand without even looking up.

Caleb watched the school teacher as she talked with John and attempted to get Sammy to respond to her. Scooting closer to Dean he leaned over and whispered, "That's Sammy's teacher? Dude, you've been holding out on me."

"Now you know why I insist on picking Sammy up from his classroom instead of in front of the school." Dean replied smirking at the expression on Caleb's face.

"Dean, you're only twelve." Caleb pointed out.

"And you're point is?" Dean fired back giving Caleb his mega watt smile before gazing back over to the teacher.

"_Man, is John in for it."_ Caleb thought as Dean continued to eye the young teacher. Getting up he made his way to the bed and joined the conversation.

"Sammy, the class made something special for you." Mrs. Hendrix told the little boy. Pulling a pile of papers out of her bag she placed them in Sam's lap. "All the kids made get well pictures for you and we put them together to make a book. Your friend Nathan even decorated the cover with dinosaurs. He said they were your favorite."

Sammy set the Hardy Boys book on the bed and carefully picked up the paper book on his lap. After flipping through the pages, he peered up at his teacher a small smile on his face. "Thank you Ms. Hendrix." He softly said.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Ms. Hendrix replied. "Guess I should be going now. You get better soon, Sammy. We really miss you at school."

Seeing the young lady about to leave Caleb spoke up. "You know, I was just about to go out for some air. We could walk together. What do you say?"

"I don't know" Ms. Hendrix told the hunter. "What do you think Sammy? Is your cousin a gentleman like you or is he more like your big brother?"

Sammy glanced from Caleb to his teacher. "He's okay." He replied. Looking back down at his handmade book he muttered, "But no paints."

Hearing a snort of laughter from John, Caleb quickly took Ms. Hendrix arm and led her to the door. "Later, guys" he called over his shoulder as he followed the teacher out the door.

"Hope that girl knows what she's in for" Bobby stated. "Caleb's a real…"

Bobby's voice trailed off as the most wonderful sound in the world reached his ears: the sound of Sam's laughter.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

A/N- The trip was wonderful! We had a blast at Universal Studios! The crowds were slim and the weather was beautiful. My niece got all her paperwork and her apartment Monday morning and so far she's loving it!

Previously on Supernatural-"Hope that girl knows what she's in for" Bobby stated. "Caleb's a real…"

Bobby's voice trailed off as the most wonderful sound in the world reached his ears: the sound of Sam's laughter.

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"Ohhh, Deeaan! Somebody made a picture for you." Sammy called out grinning from ear to ear.

Dean thought for a second before groaning. "Oh man! Not Linda!" he whined as he scooted up to sit beside Sammy. "Please tell me Linda didn't draw another one of her stupid notes!"

"Read it and weep, big brother." Sammy giggled handing his book to Dean and pointing to the picture. He watched as his brother's face changed from aggravation to anger.

Dean took one look at the crudely drawn picture and had to fight back the urge to puke. Under Sammy's get well note was a huge castle complete with several towers and a moat. A red haired princess in a long white dress stood in front of the castle and next to her was a freckled-face prince in a leather jacket. The prince and princess were saying "I love you" to each other as little red and pink hearts surrounded the couple. "Now that's just gross!" Dean muttered.

Bobby gazed over Dean's shoulder at the picture and had to bite back a laugh. Winking at Sammy he cooed, "Awww, ain't that sweet! Hope you'll invite me to the wedding, Dean!"

"Hmm, Linda Winchester. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Jim?" John said as he tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile.

"Why yes it does." Jim replied playing along. "You know Dean if you need a minister to perform the ceremony. . ."

"There's not going to be any ceremony!" Dean hollered. He threw the book on the bed and stomped over to the window.

Sammy carefully picked up his book and set it on the table beside his bed. "Sorry, Dean. I was just teasing. I didn't mean to make you mad." He whispered as he turned his sad eyes on his big brother's back.

Hearing the whispered apology Dean mentally kicked himself for destroying his brother's good mood. Turning around he was pinned by the one thing he could never resist: Sammy's puppy eyes. "Its okay, Sammy." He soothed. "I'm not mad at you."

"Are you sure?" Sammy asked clutching his stuffed dinosaur.

"I'm positive." Dean assured him.

"Not even a little bit?" Sammy quizzed.

"Nope" Dean responded.

"Okay. Then can I ask you a question?" Sammy continued.

"Ask away short stuff." Dean encouraged.

"Can I be the best man?" Sammy asked grinning.

"Uh oh! You've done it now, little brother!" Dean growled. "Prepare to meet your doom!" Dean ran over and jumped on the bed tackling Sammy. Forming claws with his fingers he raised his hands and started relentlessly tickling his little brother.

The next few minutes were filled with Dean and Sammy's laughter as they rolled around on the small bed trying to gain the upper hand in the latest tickle war. Sammy was just beginning his assault on Dean's most ticklish spot when there was a knock on the door.

At the station

Officer Laurel carefully reread the coroner's report on the Brooks frowning as a horrible scenario unfolded. When he finished his study of the evidence, he closed the folder and set it aside. Scrubbing a weary hand across his face he thought about the facts. The evidence clearly showed that Mrs. Brooks had killed herself. The fingerprints on the gun and the gunshot residue on her hands were proof of a suicide. But what about Amy's death? Maria's prints were on the poker that killed the girl but then she was the housekeeper. She would be the one to clean the poker and she was probably also the one who used it. That left Mrs. Brooks. Her prints were also on the poker and Laurel doubted that the woman even knew how to start a fire. But why would she kill her own daughter? Laurel shook his head. He needed answers. Knowing that the only witness to the crime still wasn't talking he decided to interview Amy's friends and maybe her little brother. Hopefully they could tell him about the relationship Amy had with her mother. Laurel grabbed his jacket and headed for the door notepad in hand. He had a case to solve.

At the hospital

Sammy and Dean froze in middle of their attack and stared nervously at the door. They watched as John opened the door and an older woman came into the room. Hearing their dad greet the lady and offer her a seat they grinned at each other and resumed their war.

John sat on the couch next to Dr. Webster. "What do you want, doctor?" he asked.

Janet shifted nervously on the couch before answering. "I wanted to check on Sammy and see how he was progressing." Glancing over to the bed she smiled at the siblings. "Looks like he's doing much better."

"Yes, he is." John agreed. "Now if that's all you needed."

"There is one other thing, Mr. Winchester." Dr. Webster began. "I wanted to know if you had thought anymore about getting Sammy some professional help."

"For what?" John questioned. "Look at him. He's back to his old self, playing and laughing with his brother. He doesn't need any help."

"You don't understand Mr. Winchester. Sammy may be fine right now but that won't last. Something will come along that will trigger his memory of the event and he will be traumatized all over again." Dr. Webster informed him. "Now with professional help we'll be able to help him deal with what he witnessed and we'll also be able to help the whole family recognize and deal with any triggers."

"Sammy doesn't need your professional help." John declared. "He has all the help he needs right here in this room. It's called family. You should try it sometime. Might give you something better to do than bother innocent folks. Now if you don't mind, you've kept me away from my sons for too long. Good day, Dr. Webster. "

"You're making a big mistake, Mr. Winchester." Dr. Webster called out. "When Sammy relapses and he will, I'll be here to pick up the pieces. And I won't be asking your permission then." With that she stormed out of the room leaving three extremely angry men in her wake.

"Did she just threaten you, John?" Bobby softly growled.

"Yeah, she did. But I'm not gonna waste my time worrying about her and her line of crap. I have better things to do." John replied. "Excuse me, guys. I have a war to win!"

Bobby and Jim watched as John threw himself at the boys on the bed tickling the two without mercy. They stood silently for several minutes laughing as the boys joined forces and launched a counterattack on their dad. "Hey Jim, what do you say we help Johnny out?" Bobby asked. "After all two against one isn't exactly fair."

"Let's do it!" Jim exclaimed following Bobby into the fray.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"Let's do it!" Jim exclaimed following Bobby into the fray.

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Laurel climbed back into his car slamming the door shut behind him. Letting out a frustrated sigh he crossed another name off his list of Amy's friends. So far none of the girls had been any help. They all said basically the same thing: that they thought Amy's mother was some kind of celebrity. Several of Amy's friends did mention that she didn't talk much about her mother. But that wasn't a very telling fact. Most teenagers didn't talk about their parents unless they were complaining about them. Glancing down at his watch Laurel realized that it was nearly suppertime. Knowing he only had one more name on his list he decided to interview the last friend before calling it a night. He'd have to get permission to speak with Amy's brother anyway, and he had a feeling that wasn't going to be easy. Laurel started up his car and slowly pulled out of the driveway. He hoped the next friend had the answers he so desperately needed. Time was quickly running out.

At the hospital

Dr. Chaplin stepped into Sammy's room and grinned as he watched the two younger Winchesters tossing a dinner roll back and forth like a football. Looking at the untouched food tray on the table the doctor cleared his throat and said, "Well, I was going to ask about dinner but I think the roll toss says it all." Walking over to the end of the bed Dr. Chaplin picked up Sammy's chart and quickly scanned it before moving to stand next to Sammy. "You know Sammy you really need to eat if you want to get better." The doctor instructed as he gently examined the dog bite.

"Don't worry about Sammy, doc" Dean broke in. "He's gonna eat just not that slop. Caleb went out to get some real food for all of us."

"Slop, huh? I'll have you know that all the meals are carefully planned out and provide a balanced diet without all the added fat and sugar." Dr. Chaplin informed them. "Which means they taste like crap." He added winking at Dean.

"See, Sammy. I told you your doctor was cool." Dean said ruffling his little brother's hair much to Sammy's displeasure. Dean then ducked out of the way of Sam's punch laughing at his brother's indignant huff. "Gotta be faster than that to get me, kiddo."

Laughing at Dean's antics Dr. Chaplin turned to John. "Sammy's doing much better, Mr. Winchester. He hasn't had a fever in several hours and the bite wound is showing no signs of the infection. I think he'll be able to go home tomorrow barring any setbacks."

"That's great." John replied shaking the doctor's hand. "Thanks doc."

"No thanks needed, John." The doctor said. "You guys have a good night. I'll see you bright and early in the morning."

"Wait a minute, doc." Dean piped up. "Sammy's got something he wants to ask you."

Dr. Chaplin turned and walked back to the bed. Staring down at his young patient he asked, "What is it, Sammy?" He watched as the little boy seemed to hunch into himself refusing to even look at him. "Its okay, Sammy." He soothed. "You can ask me anything."

When it became clear that Sammy wasn't going to look at let alone talk to the doctor, Dean spoke up. Placing an arm around his little brother's shoulders he whispered, "Do you want me to ask him?" Feeling more than seeing the nod of Sammy's head Dean gazed up at Dr. Chaplin and asked the question for his brother. "Sammy wanted to know if he could take a shower. He promised he'd be really careful of his arm. Can he, doc? Please?"

"Of course you can Sammy" Dr. Chaplin said directing his answer to Sammy. "I'll have one of the nurses bring a bandage to cover the bite until you finish your shower okay? Anything else?"

"No sir. That's it." Dean answered for his brother. "Thanks doc."

"Anytime Dean." Dr. Chaplin told the young man. "Good night gentlemen."

Sammy didn't raise his head until the doctor left the room. "Thanks, Dean." He softly whispered as he waited for the nurse to come fix the bite wound for him.

A few minutes later Nurse Pickford stepped into the room carrying a small package. Going over to the bed she quickly wrapped Sammy's arm before handing him clean hospital pajamas. "Thought you might need these." She explained. Standing up she walked to the door and stopped. "If you need anything else, just push the call button. I'm on duty all night." She offered before heading out of the room.

Taking the clean pajamas Sammy slid off the bed and hurried into the bathroom leaving the door cracked a little.

Back to Laurel

Laurel knocked on the door of the Kater home and stood back to wait. Pulling out his ID he flashed it at the young woman that opened the door. "Good evening ma'am. My name's Detective Laurel and I'm here to talk with a Bonnie Kater. Is she home?"

"Yes sir. Right this way." The housekeeper replied leading him into the spacious living room. "Please take a seat. I'll tell the Katers you're here."

Laurel walked around taking in the photographs of the family in various places. As he made his way around the room one picture in particular caught his attention. Stepping over to the mantle he carefully picked the photo up and examined it. Gazing at the picture of Amy and her friends smiling at the camera he was reminded of just what had been lost. Hearing a noise behind him he slowly set the framed photo back down and turned around.

At the hospital

Dean sat and listened as Sammy started the shower. Hearing his brother shuffling around in the bathroom, Dean could almost pretend that Sammy wasn't in the hospital and that everything was alright. At least tomorrow they'd be out of this place. Which reminded him. "Dad, we've got a problem." He said.

John looked up in surprise at Dean's words. He'd thought things were going well. "What's wrong, Dean?" he asked anxiously.

"Well, we uh, we're gonna have a hard time getting Sammy out of the room tomorrow without him freaking out, dad." Dean told him.

John smiled down at his son relief evident on his face. "Sammy will be fine Dean. I know he's still really quiet around strangers but we'll all be with him." He assured his son.

Dean frowned at his dad. "No dad that's not what I meant." He corrected. "I meant that we'll have a hard time because of that stupid mural on the wall."

"Mural? What mural, Dean?" John questioned scratching his head and glancing at his friends who seemed equally clueless.

Rolling his eyes at the men's reaction Dean stood and walked to the door opening it. "That huge a mural covering the whole wall! Go take a look, dad!" Dean challenged. Dean watched as a curious John stepped out of the room returning a moment later looking sick.

"What's wrong, Johnny?" Bobby asked taking in the sudden pallor of his friend's face. "What's Dean going on about?"

John sank into the closet available chair and ran a hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath he glanced up at Bobby and said, "We've got a problem alright. Remember about five years ago. You were keeping the boys for me and you took Sammy to see Josh after a prank you pulled on him."

Bobby thought for a moment attempting to recall which visit John was talking about. Bobby grimaced as a particular memory surfaced. "Oh shit! Not that!" he hissed.

Pastor Jim looked from one friend to another trying to figure out the big secret. Getting no information from the men he headed outside to get some answers. Stepping out in the hall he turned and gazed at the colorful mural not understanding what was wrong until his eyes lit on the circus performers who seemed to be surrounding Sammy's door. Shaking his head Jim hurried back inside the room already thinking of ways to shield Sammy from the hated clowns.

At the Kater home

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Kater" Laurel greeted extending his hand. "Sorry to bother you so late but I need to talk with your daughter about Amy."

Mr. Kater shook the officer's hand and motioned for the man to sit. "That's quite alright, officer." He assured as he sat down on the couch across from Laurel. "May I ask why you want to talk with Bonnie?"

"Certainly sir." Laurel replied. "I just need some information on Amy. Her relationship with her family, boyfriends, anyone who may have had a grudge against her, things of that nature."

"But why?" Mrs. Kater inquired. "I thought you already had the killer. Didn't that Winchester man do it?"

"No ma'am. He was cleared early in the investigation." Laurel told them mentally crossing his fingers. "Not meaning to be rude or anything but may I talk with your daughter, now? It's getting late."

"Of course officer." Mr. Kater stated. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us." Mr. Kater led his wife out of the room and a moment later a young girl walked in and sat down at the piano.

Laurel stepped over to the visibly frightened young woman and smiled. "Hello, Bonnie. I'm Officer Laurel." He said sitting down in the chair nearby. "I'd like to ask you some questions about Amy and her mom if that's okay."

"Okay" Bonnie whispered. "But can I ask you something first?"

"What is it, Bonnie?" Laurel gently asked.

"Is it, is it okay to, uh, tell a se, secret if. . .if the other person's de, gone?" she quietly stuttered.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"Is it, is it okay to, uh, tell a se, secret if. . .if the other person's de, gone?" she quietly stuttered.

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"Soup's on!" Caleb called out as he followed Josh into the room. Setting a large bag on the nearest chair he reached inside and pulled out a red bucket. "Thought we'd eat the good stuff tonight."

John cleared off Sammy's tray table replacing the hospital dinner with placemats, plastic forks, and napkins from Joshua's bag. He then poured sweet tea into cups Josh had already filled with ice.

Caleb, Bobby, and Jim formed an assembly line alternately filling the plates with chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll before setting the plates on the already full table. Bobby, Caleb, Jim, and Josh took their plates and sat on the couch and chairs giving the small family room on the bed. Once everyone had a plate Jim blessed the meal and they all quickly tucked into their food.

At the Katers

Laurel got up and walked over to sit at the piano beside Bonnie patting her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "Of course it's alright, Bonnie. Why? Did Amy tell you a secret?" he quizzed.

Bonnie glanced at the photo on the mantle before answering. "Yes sir, she did. I wanted to tell my parents about it but she made me promise never to tell anybody."

Encouraged Laurel smiled at the young woman. "Why did you want to tell your parents, Bonnie? What was it?" he asked.

"Amy spent the night at my house a few months ago." Bonnie began. "We were having a great time putting on makeup and trying on each other's clothes. You know, just hanging out. But then my mom called me down stairs for a minute to talk to my grandmother on the phone. When I came back to the room, she was changing and I saw. . ."

"Saw what, Bonnie?" Laurel prodded.

"I saw, her, her," she stammered. "I didn't mean to see anything! Honest! But she was facing the mirror when I came in and her back was to me and I couldn't help it!"

"Its okay, Bonnie. You didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident." Laurel soothed. "What happened next, Bonnie? What did you see that has you all upset?"

Bonnie's eyes flicked down to her hands as they twisted the hem of her blouse. "Her back" she whispered. "I saw her back and then she turned around and saw me and freaked out. She threw a shirt on and tried to tell me that it was nothing and that I hadn't seen anything. But I told her that I knew what I had seen." Glancing back up at the officer she sucked in a breathe and continued. "Her back was covered in bruises and welts. I sat her on the bed and made her tell me what happened. At first she tried to tell me she fell down her stairs but when I told her that was bull, she finally told me the truth."

Laurel sat and patiently waited for the young girl finish her story. He knew this had to be extremely hard on Bonnie. Especially if the secret she had been keeping, could have saved her friend from an early death. He watched as the child tried to reign in her emotions long enough to tell him what he needed to know.

After a few long minutes of silence, Bonnie had finally gained enough control to go on. Staring at the picture of her friend on the mantle she continued her tale. "Amy said she had failed a test in her math class and her mom found out. Mrs. Brooks went berserk and started screaming at Amy and beating her with one of her dad's belts. The way she talked about it, it was like it wasn't a big deal. She told me it happened a lot."

"Did Amy say if her mom ever hit Joey or if anyone else was involved?" Laurel questioned as he hastily scribbled notes on his pad.

"She said that she shielded her brother as much as she could but her mom did hurt him sometimes, too." Bonnie informed the officer. "I asked if her dad knew. She said her dad was never around long enough to know what was going on. I tried to tell her what her mom was doing was wrong. I told her she needed to tell someone, that I'd even go with her but she said it wouldn't do any good."

"Why did she think that?" Laurel asked genuinely confused by Amy's statement.

"Because" Bonnie growled pinning the officer with a glare, "She'd been to the police before."

At the hospital

"We're gonna take off now, Johnny." Bobby whispered. "We'll get the house ready and come back to pick you up in the morning."

"Thanks, guys." John said smiling up at his friends. "You've been a big help." He watched his friends leave and then turned his attention back to his two sleeping boys. Stepping over to the bed he gently tucked the covers in around his sons smirking as Dean's eyes opened at the movement. "Go to sleep, champ." He whispered. John waited until his eldest eyes closed again before moving back to his chair and taking up his job as protector once more. He was just starting to relax when the door opened and Nurse Pickford quietly stepped inside.

"Sorry" she whispered upon seeing the sleeping boys. "I just need to take Sammy's vitals again." She silently went about her business and somehow managed to get done without disturbing either boy. "Night, Mr. Winchester." She said heading for the door.

"Hold up a minute. Josh left something for you." John quietly called out as he grabbed a small bag off the night stand.

Nurse Pickford glanced at the container of strawberry shortcake in the bag and grinned. "Tell Josh I'm on to him." She laughed.

"You got it!" John replied returning her smile. "See you in the morning." Settling himself back in the chair he was asleep in no time.

At the Kater house

"What?!" Laurel exclaimed. Looking into Bonnie's now fearful eyes Laurel shoved his anger into the background and gentled his voice. "Did she tell you who she spoke to?"

Bonnie got up and slowly backed away from the officer before answering. "Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"No Bonnie, of course not." Laurel assured her. "You've been a big help to me so far. Do you think you can help me one more time? For Amy?" Seeing her hesitant nod he asked, "Can you tell me the officer's name?"

Bonnie shuffled from foot to foot for a moment as she debated whether or not she should answer the officer. Love for her friend and anger over her death won out and she whispered the name Amy had told her. "Lloyd. It was Lloyd she told."

AN- I was planning on writing more but that seemed like a good place to end it.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- "Lloyd. It was Lloyd she told."

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Nurse Pickford slowly closed the door to room 405 and started down the hallway to the nurse's station. Coming around the corner she smiled at the group of hunters exiting the elevator. "Good morning, gentlemen." She greeted eyes lighting up at the sight of a particular hunter in the group. "Morning, Josh."

"Morning, Nurse Pickford" Joshua called turning beet red. "Thought you'd be headed home by now."

"No, my shift doesn't end for another five minutes." The nurse told him. "You know, I'm going down to the cafeteria for breakfast once I'm off duty. Maybe you'd like to join me?"

"I'd, umm, I mean I uh" Joshua stuttered shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Rolling his eyes at his friend's fumbling Caleb decided to interrupt before Josh made a mess of things. "He'd be delighted, ma'am! Wouldn't you Josh?"

Joshua gave the nurse a slight smile and said, "Yeah, I mean that sounds good. Just let me go. . ."

"You two go ahead." Caleb insisted pushing his friend toward Nurse Pickford. "We'll just be in Sammy's room."

"Yeah, waiting for all the juicy details." Bobby whispered earning him an elbow to the ribs from Jim.

Joshua looked anxiously at his friends who were all grinning like idiots. Turning back to his date Josh walked over and took her by the hand. "After you ma'am." He cooed.

Nurse Pickford blushed as she started walking down the hall arm in arm with the young hunter. Together they walked around the nurse's station and out of sight.

Chuckling at their friend's awkwardness the hunters continued up the hall until they reached Sammy's room. Carefully opening the door and stepping inside they smiled at the two wide awake boys lying on the bed watching them.

Taking in the sight of his friend conked out in the chair beside the bed, Bobby grinned mischievously. Putting a finger to his mouth to silence the boys he quietly tiptoed up behind the chair. Glancing up he winked at the grinning boys before focusing back on his intended victim. Raising his hands he slowly reached toward John's shoulders getting closer and closer until. . .

"Do it and die!" John barked as he sprang out of the chair and spun around causing Bobby to emit a high pitched scream and jump backwards.

Dean and Sammy collapsed into a fit of giggles at their dad's prank. Rolling on the bed they laughed and laughed until their sides were sore. "Dude, you, you screamed like a, a little girl!" Dean managed to get out between chuckles. "I can't believe you fell for that!" Wiping the tears from his eyes he slid off the bed and did an impression of his uncle's moves causing his little brother to laugh even harder. John, Caleb, and Jim soon joined in the laughter.

Bobby stared angrily at the group for a few seconds before a chuckle escaped his lips. Taking off his ball cap and scratching his head he sheepishly grinned at the group before him. "Guess I kinda asked for that, huh?"

"Yea, it's just too bad Josh wasn't here to see that performance." Caleb said. "That was awesome, Johnny!"

"Now Caleb" Jim began stopping when he heard a knock on the door. Sharing a troubled glance with the other men he slowly walked over and opened the door.

Laurel's home

Laurel stared into the bathroom mirror. Bonnie's revelation had thrown him for a loop and he wasn't sure what to do with the information. He knew he needed to inform someone, but who? He doubted his fellow officers would believe him after all he'd only been in town and on the force for a few months. Lloyd had been an officer for years and he was well respected. He had been the youngest officer to ever make chief and everyone said he was as fair as they come. _"Yeah, everyone except Amy." _Laurel thought bitterly. He slammed his hand on the counter at the thought of the young girl whose life had been taken needlessly. Deciding he needed help Laurel stormed out of the bathroom. He quickly threw on his uniform and marched down the hall pasting on a smile he didn't feel for his family. After kissing his wife and baby boy, he headed out the door. He had a job to do.

At the hospital

"Good morning Mr. John" Jim greeted as he stepped aside to give the older man room to maneuver his wheelchair into the small room. "What brings you out so early?"

"I thought Sammy might be ready for a new book." Mr. John told them as he slowly wheeled over to the bed. Taking another book out of his pouch he held it out to the little boy. "What do you say, Sammy? Are you ready for another Hardy Boys adventure?"

Sammy gazed at the book longingly before sadly shaking his head. "I can't." he whispered as he unintentionally turned his puppy eyes on his new friend. "I'm going home today."

"Well now, that's great news, Sammy!" Mr. John said smiling. "But that doesn't mean you can't borrow the book. The Hardy Boy books are mine, not the hospitals. You're welcome to borrow it. Just drop it by my house when you're done."

"Really?" Sammy questioned eyes lighting up at the thought.

"You bet." Mr. John replied as he handed the book to the youngest Winchester. Taking the first book in his trembling hands he slipped it into his pouch. "My daughter gave me the whole set of Hardy Boys books one Christmas. You welcome to come get the third book when you finish that one son."

"Thank you Mr., I mean Johnny." Sammy said as he began to flip through his new treasure. "These books are cool!"

"I think so too." Mr. John agreed. Looking up at the men he added, "I need to be going now. I just wanted to check on Sammy before I started my day."

"Thank you, Mr. John" John said shaking the older man's hand.

"Anytime, Mr. Winchester." Mr. John responded. "You take care of your boys now. See you soon, Sammy."

Pastor Jim held the door as Mr. John slowly wheeled himself out the doorway. "Bye Mr. John. Have a good day." He called after the man. He was just closing the door when an orderly stepped in with Sammy's breakfast tray. "Good morning. Thank you." He greeted frowning slightly when the man dumped the tray on the table and walked back out the door without acknowledging the greeting. "How rude!" he exclaimed.

"Alright! Charms!" Sammy hollered as he dug into his meal.

After making sure his sons were occupied, John motioned for the others to follow him to the other side of the room. "We've got a problem, guys." He whispered to his friends.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked in a hushed tone. "Are the cops trying to blame you again?"

"No, nothing like that." John assured them. "It's our plan for getting Sammy past the clowns. I don't think having Dr. Chaplin sedate him is a good idea. He's already having nightmares about the murders. I don't want him to have a nightmare and not be able to wake up. We need a Plan B."

The group stood thinking for a while throwing ideas out for the others to consider. They compared and debated various plans before eventually discarding all of them. After another long brainstorming session, Caleb grinned and snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Leave everything to me, guys." And with that he hurried out of the room leaving three stunned hunters in his wake.

At a downtown diner

Laurel waved when he saw his friends walk into the small diner he had picked as a meeting spot. As his friends slid into the booth he motioned for the waitress who sauntered over.

"What'll it be, fellows?" the fifties something waitress quizzed smacking her gum.

"Two specials with coffee." Keaton ordered smiling politely at the woman. Once she left he turned to Laurel frowning. "Alright, what was so important that we had to come all the way to this side of town to meet?"

Laurel's grip on his coffee mug tightened. "I've got some new information on the Brooks case and I need your advice on what to do with it." He told them.

"Well that's easy." Arbuckle said smugly. "If it's about the Brooks case, you need to tell Lloyd. He's the lead investigator on the case."

"I can't." Laurel replied staring into his empty mug. "It's about him."

"What?!" Keaton and Arbuckle shouted.

At the hospital

Dr. Chaplin walked into the room and up to Sammy's bed. After checking the little boy's chart, he sat down beside Sammy and pulled a couple of clear looking band-aids out of his lab coat pocket. "Okay, Sammy before you can go home I need to stitch up that dog bite." The doctor said. Seeing the child's eyes go wide at the mention of the word "stitch", Dr. Chaplin hurriedly added, "Don't worry Sammy. You won't feel a thing. See I have these "magic band-aids that I'm going to put around the bite."

"_Magic band-aids! Yeah, right!"_ Dean thought rolling his eyes. Pulling his little brother closer, he put on his best smile. "Magic band-aids! Cool! Right, Sammy." He said excitedly.

Sammy rolled his eyes at his big brother. Magic band-aids. What was he, two? Extending his arm he watched as the doctor stuck the band-aids around the bite and then got up.

"Okay, Sammy I need to go get a few things. Leave the band-aids alone until I get back, alright?" Dr. Chaplin ordered before walking out of the room.

"Yes sir" Sammy replied as he continued to stare down at his arm. As the minutes ticked by he grew more and more nervous as he waited for the doctor's return.

After about ten minutes, the doctor returned with a nurse carrying a small kit. "Alright, Sammy let's get you fixed up so you can get out of here." Dr. Chaplin stated as he once again sat on the bed and carefully removed the band-aids.

Sammy climbed in his dad's lap as soon as he saw the doctor take a needle out of the kit. Latching onto Dean with his good hand Sammy buried his face in his dad's shirt not wanting to see what the doctor was doing. He tightly closed his eyes and waited for the sting of the needle. When it never came, Sammy cracked his eyes opened and looked down to see the doctor carefully stitching his arm. Intrigued Sammy watched as Dr. Chaplin finished up the stitches, rubbed antibiotic cream on the wound, and then placed a regular band-aid on top.

"All done, Sammy." Dr. Chaplin stated smiling at the expression on the little boy's face. "That didn't hurt a bit, did it?"

"It really was magic." Sammy breathed out. "Cool!"

At the diner

Keaton and Arbuckle sat stunned at the bombshell Laurel had dropped in their laps. Finally finding his voice Keaton asked, "What are you gonna do man?"

Laurel shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I was hoping you guys could help me figure it out."

"Well, I guess we should" Arbuckle started. "We should, ummm. Shit! I don't know!"

"Me either" Keaton confessed. "What if we. . ." he trailed off upon hearing his name called. Turning he looked toward the front of the diner. Seeing Hardy he stood and waved the officer over. "What's up, Hardy?"

"Lloyd's calling everyone in. The special investigator's here." Hardy informed them.

"Guess that answers your question." Keaton said as he climbed out of the booth and headed to the counter to pay.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"Guess that answers your question." Keaton said as he climbed out of the booth and headed to the counter to pay.

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John quickly walked back to his son's room. He was more than ready to put this place behind him. Flexing his fingers to alleviate the soreness signing the ten million hospital release forms had caused he glanced over at the young man beside him. "You sure you got this clown thing taken care of, Caleb?" John asked. "I don't think any of us are up for another meltdown."

Caleb grinned at his friend. "Don't worry Johnny. I've got it covered." He replied as he stopped and waited for John to open the door. Turning around he gave a thumbs up to put his plan in motion before pushing the wheelchair into the hospital room. Sliding up to the bed he patted the seat. "You're chariot awaits, Samuel."

"Cool!" Sammy squealed leaping from the bed to the chair. Grabbing his books and dinosaur he settled in to enjoy the ride.

Caleb swiftly turned the chair around and led the way to the door ignoring the worried looks being exchanged behind him. Pulling the door open he smiled as he noticed his plan in action. Holding the door open with his back he slowly pushed the wheelchair to the doorway eagerly awaiting Sammy's reaction.

Sammy wiggled excitedly as Caleb pushed him toward the door and freedom. He couldn't wait to get home and go outside to play! He was tired of sitting around doing nothing. Thoughts of playing with his big brother were in his mind as he happily rode through the doorway. Looking down the hallway Sammy wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him. "Ewwww, gross!" he exclaimed slapping a hand across his eyes.

Intrigued by his brother's reaction Dean leaned out the door, glanced in the direction Sammy was facing, and immediately started laughing. There at the end of the hall stood Josh and Nurse Pickford arms around each other and lips locked together. Dean mentally congratulated the hunter as he looked down at his little brother who had his eyes covered. "Ahh c'mon Sammy. It's just a little kiss." Dean teased. "Oh wait a minute! Now Josh is moving his hand down to her. . ."

"Deeean! I don't wanna know!" Sammy whined as he ducked his head hands still firmly planted over his eyes.

Aggravated by the teasing Caleb reached around and cuffed Dean on the back of the head eliciting a squawk of displeasure and a WTF look from the boy. "Shut it Dean." Caleb warned pointing to the clown mural that they were walking past. After getting a nod from Dean Caleb leaned down to his passenger and whispered, "Don't worry Sammy. Just keep your eyes shut. I'll tell you when the coast is clear."

The group of hunters quickly made their way down the hall and around the corner of the nurse's station. As they waited for the elevator Bobby walked back to the still embracing couple and tapped on Joshua's shoulder. "The coast is clear. You can stop now." He informed the man smirking as Josh managed to wave him away without breaking the kiss. Walking back to the others Bobby grinned. "Guess Josh will meet us later." He said stepping into the elevator as the doors opened. As the doors slid shut he added, "Its okay, Sammy. You can look now."

Sammy reluctantly removed his hand and slowly cracked one eye open not wanting any more surprises. Seeing the closed doors he sighed opening both eyes. "Man, am I glad that's over." He said.

"Me too, son. Me too." John whispered.

At the station

Lloyd stood nervously in front of the group of officers. As he watched the last batch slowly trickle in and take seats he sent up a silent prayer that the news reporters wouldn't turn the town into a media circus. The town deserved better. Noting that the group was now seated Lloyd cleared his throat and began a speech he had hoped he'd never have to use. "Morning gentlemen. As most of you already know the mayor called the governor and asked for a special investigator for the Brooks case. The governor granted his request and the investigator arrived early this morning. As of this moment Special Investigator Logue is in charge of the case. Any and all information is to go through him. I expect each and every one of you to cooperate fully with officer Logue. Follow his orders to the letter and treat him with the utmost respect. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" the assembled officers responded even though most expressions showed just what they really thought of the situation.

Glaring at a small group who were mumbling their disgust Lloyd waited until they got the message and went silent before continuing. "Alright I'll turn it over to Investigator Logue now. Walking over to the door he shook a finger at his men. "Remember what I said, gentlemen." He warned. Opening the door he walked out as a tall serious looking man in a business suit stepped in.

At the house

Sammy sat on the couch bored out of his mind. Since coming home he'd been stuck there only allowed up to go to the bathroom and he'd had enough. Flipping through the channels once more he sighed. Shutting off the television he threw the remote onto the small coffee table and glared at the now blank screen. _"Nothing but crappy soap operas on."_ He thought. _"Like I haven't seen enough kissing for one day. Guess there's only one thing left to do."_ Snatching up the Hardy Boys book he flipped to the first page and began to read.

Dean watched his brother from the kitchen doorway. He could tell his brother needed to get out and run off some of his excess energy. The problem was how to get his dad to agree to it. Walking over to the table he decided to just ask. Who knew? Maybe his dad would say yes. _"Yeah, and maybe Hell will freeze over."_ Dean thought as he got along side his father just in time to hear John speak.

"No, that's out of the question. Sammy's not going to any police station. He's staying right here where I can keep an eye on him." John declared. "We'll just have to think of another way to help Maria."

Dean quietly stood and listened to the talk for a few minutes until there was a lull in the conversation. "Dad. Dad!" Dean called pulling on John's shirt sleeve.

Turning John smiled at his eldest happy for the interruption. "What's up, Dean?" he asked.

"Well, umm" Dean began, "I thought me and Sammy might walk to the park and play ball for a. . ."

"No!" John barked surprising everyone. Seeing his son flinch John softened his tone and explained, "He just got out of the hospital Dean. I don't think he needs to be running around."

"How about if we just take a short walk then?" Dean offered. "Please dad, Sammy's going crazy sitting on the couch. He needs to move."

"Dean's got a point John" Pastor Jim pointed out. "Sammy's always been a rambunctious little boy. He's never still not even when he's sleeping."

"I know, but what if something happens while they're gone? What if something or someone triggers a meltdown?" John questioned. "I just can't take the chance."

"I'll follow them." Caleb volunteered. "That way Sammy can walk off his energy and you don't have to worry. It's a win-win."

"I don't know" John replied scratching his chin.

"Please dad!" Dean begged. "I'll be extra careful with him."

"Yeah, c'mon Johnny. Let'em go." Bobby added.

"Oh alright" John caved. "Just make sure you keep a close eye on them Caleb and don't let Sam see you."

"Not a problem" Caleb assured heading for the door. "Sammy will never know I'm there."

Dean ran over to the front door and scooped up their soccer ball. "C'mon Sammy!" Dean hollered, "Dad said we could walk to the park!"

"Yippee!" Sammy shouted as he jumped off the couch and raced to the porch where Dean was now waiting for him. Dean and Sammy jumped down the steps and started walking down the sidewalk toward the park. After a few minutes of walking they began to hear music. "Hear that Dean? It sounds like a piano." Sammy stated curiously. "Where's it coming from?"

"Don't know" Dean replied glancing around. Closing his eyes for a second Dean focused on the music attempting to locate the origin of the sound. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and smiled. "It's coming from that house over there, Sammy." He said pointing to the small house on the other side of the road.

Sammy stared at the house Dean had pointed out. Squinting at the open window he could make out a sitting figure. He continued to stare at the figure as he moved closer to the curb. Finally he turned to Dean and grinned. "It's Mr. John!" he exclaimed. "Can we go see him Dean? Please?"

Dean glanced from the house to Sammy and back. "I guess its okay Sammy. But we can't stay very long." He told his brother.

"Thanks Dean!" Sammy said as he looked for cars. Before starting across the street he glanced at the trees a few feet back. "Tell dad we're at Mr. John's Caleb." He called smirking as he crossed the street with Dean.

At the station

Laurel walked up to the office that had been assigned to Investigator Logue and hesitated. He wasn't sure he could trust the man. And he had a family to think about. Deciding he needed to think this through some more he sat on a nearby bench and mentally went through all the facts. Bonnie's information would go a long way to clearing Maria and putting the blame where he was sure it belonged; on Mrs. Brooks. But what about Lloyd? There was no way to relay Bonnie's statement without the info on the chief. And if he told that, he'd be accusing a fellow officer. A highly thought of officer. And what if the investigator was a buddy of the mayor's or Brooks? Was he really willing to risk his career and his family's well being? Unsure he pulled out the photo of Amy and her friends that Bonnie had given him. Staring into that sweet innocent face gave him all the answers he needed. He was going to help and damn the consequences. Carefully placing the photo back in his jacket pocket Laurel stood and walked back to Logue's office. He loudly knocked on the door and then confidently walked inside.

At Mr. John's house

"Well hello, boys!" Mr. John greeted. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon. Surely you haven't finished that book already, Sammy."

"No sir" Sammy relied. "We were just going to the park and wanted to stop by."

"Come on in fellows. It'll be nice to have some company while my wife's gone." Mr. John said as he led the boys into his living room and parked his chair.

Sammy gazed around the room taking in all the mementos scattered all over. Seeing the piano he walked over and timidly reached out his hand before pulling it back.

Noticing the boy's reluctance Mr. John wheeled over. "It's okay to touch it Sammy." He encouraged. Mr. John smiled as Sammy ghosted his fingers over the keys. "Can you play the piano, Sammy?" he inquired.

Sammy shook his head. "No sir. There's a big piano at Pastor Jim's church but the lady that plays it says that little kids can't touch it. She won't even let us get close to it." He explained as he continued to slide his hand across the side of the instrument.

"Now that's just nonsense." Mr. John declared. "The best time to learn to play is when you're young. Would you like to learn how to play, Sammy?"

"Me?" Sammy asked in awe. "But I couldn't. . .I wouldn't be any good. I'd just screw it up."

"I think you'd be a wonderful player Sammy. Come on. Give it a try." Mr. John encouraged.

"Yeah, Sammy. Try it." Dean piped up. "It'll be fun."

"But what if I can't get my fingers to work right?" Sammy asked.

"That won't be a problem. Mine don't all work either." Mr. John said holding up his shaking hands.

Stepping up to his new friend Sammy smiled. "Okay, I'll try." He agreed.

"How about if I teach you a special song? It's my wife's favorite and it was the first song I taught my daughters. Would you like that, Sammy?" Mr. John asked.

"Yes sir" Sammy replied. "Where do I start?"

Mr. John locked his chair into position in front of the piano and then had Sammy carefully stand between the foot rests so he could help place his fingers on the piano. He told Sammy the name of the keys and slowly began to show him the first few notes of the song.

Sammy listened intently to all of Mr. John's instructions. As the afternoon wore on his smile grew and grew as he became more confident in himself. He played the parts over and over again correcting any mistakes and always heeding the advice his mentor was giving him. He was having a blast!

Mr. John glanced at the clock in surprise. "Oh my! It's almost supper time. I didn't realize we'd been at it for so long." He told Dean and Sammy. "I think it's time for you to head back to your house before your dad starts to worry about you."

"But we didn't get to finish." Sammy whined as he turned his puppy eyes on his friend. "Can't we stay a little longer?"

"Mr. John's right Sammy. It's past time to go." Dean agreed. "But maybe we can come back tomorrow."

"Okay." Sammy grumbled. "Bye Mr. John. I had a great time."

"You come back tomorrow afternoon and I'll show you the rest of the song." Mr. John offered earning him a hug from the little boy. Mr. John followed them to the door and watched to make sure they safely crossed the street. "Bye, Dean! Bye, Sammy!" he called after them. Closing the door he wheeled back to the living room and closed the piano. His wife would be home soon.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Closing the door he wheeled back to the living room and closed the piano. His wife would be home soon.

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Dean and Sammy carefully walked across the street and headed back to their house and waiting family. Dean tossed the soccer ball in the air a few times as he thought about their afternoon at Mr. John's house. Sammy had acted like his old self again smiling and asking the older man a million questions. And he had taken to the piano like a fish to water easily learning the basics. He had even learned the first part of what Dean thought had to be a pretty difficult song. Sneaking a glance at his little brother Dean was thrilled to see Sammy still smiling. They'd definitely be going back to Mr. John's tomorrow. Something about being around the older man was helping the kid. "Bet dad's standing on his head right about now wondering where we are." Dean told his little brother. "We really shouldn't have stayed so long."

Sammy looked up at his brother and smiled. "It's okay Dean. Dad knew where we were. Caleb told him, remember?" Sammy made a grab for the ball tucked under Dean's arm pouting when Dean easily blocked him.

Dean rolled his eyes. _"Now that's the Sammy I know."_ He thought blocking yet another of Sammy's attempts to take the ball. "Getting slow there shorty." He teased holding the ball out of his little brother's reach. "C'mon! Bet you can't get it!"

"You're on!" Sammy replied leaping up to knock the ball out of his annoying big brother's hands. Sammy tried over and over again to jump high enough to snatch the ball but he couldn't quite reach. Getting angry at his brother's teasing he picked up a small pebble and threw it into the bushes as hard as he could.

"Face it midget, you're never going to be able to take it from me." Dean teased as he continued to walk not noticing his brother's changing mood.

"Not a midget!" Sammy grumbled crossing his arms and scowling at his big brother. He angrily kicked at the grass near the sidewalk. Hearing a faint noise he turned and grinned mischievously at Dean. Sucking in a big breath he called out, "Caleb!"

"Dude, that's cheating!" Dean admonished frowning at his little brother.

"Nuh uh! The bet was for me to get the ball. You didn't say how." Sammy fired back sticking out his tongue.

"He's right Dean" Caleb agreed falling into step with the two boys.

"You're siding with him?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I'm not siding with anyone Dean. I just meant he was right about the bet. You didn't say anything about him getting the ball himself." Caleb pointed out. Turning to Sammy he added, "I suppose you want me to get the ball for you."

"Please Caleb?" Sammy whined pinning his friend with his best hang dog expression.

"Okay I will on one condition." Caleb negotiated. "When I give you the ball, you have to answer my question."

Sammy glanced from the ball to Caleb thinking it over. After a few seconds he smiled up at his friend. "Deal" he agreed. He watched laughing as Caleb chased Dean down the sidewalk before tackling him in an empty lot and wrestling the ball away from him. Running up to the two Sammy eagerly took the ball from Caleb. "Thanks, man." He said as he set the ball on the ground and began passing it from foot to foot. "What's your question?"

"I wanna know how you knew I was watching you guys." Caleb told him as he helped an unhappy Dean to his feet. "What gave me away?"

Sammy stopped kicking the ball long enough to peer up at his friend. "Easy. You wore the wrong shoes." He said. Seeing the confusion on Caleb's face Sammy sighed and pointed to the man's boots. "Your spurs make a clanging noise every time you take a step." He explained.

Caleb glanced down at his boots. "My spurs don't make. . .Oh" he groaned hearing the noise the youngest Winchester had mentioned. "I never noticed. Thanks kid."

"Anytime. Thanks for the ball, Caleb" Sammy called over his shoulder as he once again began kicking the ball towards their house.

Caleb and Dean walked behind Sammy watching him with amused expressions. "Looks like we have the old Sammy back." Caleb stated.

"Yeah" Dean agreed turning as a car made its way slowly down the street. Hearing the sputtering sound of the engine and taking in the rusted appearance of the classic '57 Chevy he grimaced. "Can't believe somebody let a fine car like that get in that shape. That dude should be shot."

Caleb nodded his head in agreement. "Bobby would have a fit if he saw that."

In the house

John set his coffee mug down on the table and stood. "Now that Sammy's out of the hospital, I think it's time for us to move on. Get away from this town and all the bad memories. We can be headed for that job in Georgia by morning." he told the others.

Pastor Jim glared at his old friend. "Are you out of your mind, John? Didn't you hear anything that doctor told you about Sammy's condition? She told you to stick to your usual routines and not make any big changes." He scolded.

"But Sammy's fine now. You saw the way he jumped off the couch and ran after Dean." John defended. "He's back to his old self."

Sensing the oncoming argument Bobby decided to throw his two cents in. "Fraid I agree with Jim, Johnny. Sammy may seem alright now but that pamphlet said that would happen. Said that he would appear to be fine until something triggers his memory of the event."

Raking a hand through his hair John glared at his friends. "I'm telling you Sammy's fine. I know my boy and he's tougher…" John stopped mid-sentence as a loud BANG! sounded outside.

At Bonnie's house

Investigator Logue stepped out of his car and stared at the seemingly empty home before him. Glancing around he noticed the lack of vehicles in the drive or in the mysteriously opened garage. Getting an uneasy feeling he looked over the hood at Officers Laurel and Hardy. "Officer Laurel did Bonnie or her parents say anything about having to go out of town?" he questioned.

"No sir" Laurel replied. "I told her parents that I might have more questions later and they told me they would be here. Something's not right, sir."

The three officers walked up to the door surprised to find it cracked open. Drawing their guns the men carefully entered the house. Finding no one Investigator Logue motioned for Laurel and Hardy to take the upstairs. He watched them go up the stairway before turning and walking into the living room. After a thorough search revealed nothing, he headed into the kitchen. Logue frowned as he took in the half eaten meal at the dining room table. It looked like the family had left in a hurry. But why? Seeing the phone receiver dangling from the wall phone the officer reached over and placed it back in its cradle. Now knowing the reason for the disappearances, he headed upstairs to find the others. They needed to get back to the station fast.

At the Winchesters

"Dad! Dad!" Dean hollered as he raced into the house holding the door for Caleb.

Caleb carried a trembling Sammy into the house and sat them both down on the couch. Hearing heavy footsteps he looked up as John ran into the room and plopped down beside him. "A car backfired and Sammy dropped to the ground like he'd been sh. . .hurt."

John carefully took his little boy from Caleb. Setting Sammy in his lap he wrapped one arm around him while he rubbed his son's back with his other hand. "Its okay, Sammy. It was just a car. You're alright." John repeated over and over in an attempt to calm his son. Growing increasingly alarmed at the lack of response from Sammy John glanced up at his friends. "Bobby, go grab that pamphlet and see what it says to do." He ordered before focusing back on his son.

Bobby dashed into the kitchen coming back a few minutes later with a handful of pamphlets. Scanning the papers he threw them one by one onto the floor in frustration. Tossing the last one aside he scowled. "The only thing they say is to get him "professional help"." He growled. "Doesn't have anything useful in it."

"What do you want to do, John?" Pastor Jim asked.

John sat rocking Sammy as he attempted to decide on a course of action. After several minutes, he turned to the others and said, "We'll deal with it ourselves for now. I think taking him anywhere right now would do more harm than good."

"You sure, Johnny?" Bobby questioned as he picked up the pamphlets and set them on a nearby shelf.

"Yeah" John replied gazing down at his son. Seeing the stain on the front of Sammy's jeans he ran a hand across his face. "Guess the first thing we need to do is get you cleaned up kiddo." He whispered as he slowly stood and adjusted his hold on Sammy. "Dean, go get Sammy some more clothes." He called as he headed for the bathroom.

At the station

Investigator Logue walked straight to his office and hit the intercom button. "Send Keaton and Arbuckle in." he ordered. He paced the length of the office as he waited for the two men. Hearing a knock at the door he hollered, "Enter" before walking over and taking a seat behind his desk. Motioning for the men to take a seat he began his interrogation. "Alright gentlemen, report. I need to know anyone who's been in or near my office."

Keaton and Arbuckle exchanged anxious looks before turning back to the investigator. Keaton nervously shifted in his seat knowing something was seriously wrong. "There was only one person near your office sir. It was just after you left and he only used the phone for a moment." He reported pausing at the angry glare aimed his way.

"Who was it?" Logue asked.

"It was Officer Lloyd sir." Arbuckle replied.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"It was Officer Lloyd sir." Arbuckle replied.

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John sat on the edge of the tub as he bathed an unusually compliant Sammy. The familiar routine took him back to a time when bathing the boys was his favorite part of the day. Memories of a much younger Dean and Sammy with bubble bath beards laughing and splashing washed over John. Next came the rubber duck and boat races that had the boys squealing with delight followed closely by the nightly hair washing battle. Somehow he always managed to get the job done even though in the end more water was on the floor than left in the tub.

Dean quietly walked into the bathroom. Setting Sammy's clothes on the toilet seat, he stepped up to his dad's side and asked, "Need any help dad?"

John glanced up at his eldest and sadly smiled. "That's okay, Dean. I've got things under control. Why don't you go see what we have in the fridge that's still edible."

"Sure dad." Dean replied heading to the door. Stopping in the doorway, he added, "Don't worry dad. Sammy's gonna be okay. He just needs some more time."

John stared at the now empty doorway stunned. Once again his eldest had known exactly what to say. When had Dean become the grown up? Shouldn't he be the one comforting Dean and not the other way around? Shaking his head John decided to leave those questions for a day when things weren't so crazy. Grabbing a towel he turned back to his youngest. "C'mon buddy. Let's get you outta there." He lovingly whispered as he gently picked Sammy up.

At the station

"I don't believe it!" Logue exclaimed slamming his hands on the desk. Jumping out of his chair he walked to the window muttering under his breath.

"What's wrong, sir?" Keaton warily asked. "Did something happen?"

"It's more like what didn't happen." Investigator Logue corrected as he stared out the window. "Bonnie and her family are gone. Left in a hurry from the look of things."

"Gone?" Arbuckle questioned. "But why would they…Wait! You think Lloyd scared them off!?"

"Somebody sure did." Logue replied as he headed over to his desk. "But if they think that's going to stop this investigation, they are sadly mistaken. Bonnie may be out of the picture but she's not the only witness we have." Picking up his keys Logue marched to the door.

"Where are you going sir?" Keaton asked. "The Winchester boy still isn't able to talk about what he saw."

"I'm going to the only person who knew Amy better than her friends. I'm going to talk to Joey." Logue called over his shoulder before shutting the door.

At the Winchesters

John finished toweling Sammy dry and began the task of dressing his little boy. Placing Sammy on the closed toilet seat, he quickly put on his son's underwear, jeans, and socks. Wrangling Sammy's arms into the shirt sleeves proved a little more difficult but he finally managed to get both arms through the correct sleeves. But as he began buttoning up the shirt he almost lost it. He couldn't remember the last time he had dressed his baby boy.

Sammy had been fiercely independent from a very young age, always wanting to do things himself. "Me do!" seemed to be some of the first words baby Sammy learned to say right after his first word of dada. Okay, so technically Sammy hadn't exactly said dada but it did start with a "d" and he was looking at John when he said it so it counted no matter what Bobby Singer said. Feeling a hand on his shoulder John gazed up locking eyes with Dean.

"I got the buttons, dad. Why don't you go get Sammy's comb? You know how much he hates it when his hair gets all tangled up." Dean offered.

"Thanks Dean." John choked out. Standing he swiftly walked out of the room and to the bathroom. Leaning against the sink he buried his face in his hands. _"What am I gonna do?"_ he thought. He briefly considered calling and talking to the counselor but rejected that idea recalling her final words to him. There was no way anyone was taking Sammy away from him and Dean. He would just have to reach Sammy himself. Decision made he took a couple of minutes to get his composure together and then headed back to his boys.

The Winchesters' friends looked up as John carried a now clingy Sammy into the living room and sat in the nearest chair. Swiping a comb through his son's unruly mop, he glanced at his friends. "Did I hear the phone ring a few minutes ago?" he asked the men.

"Yeah, that was Josh." Bobby replied. "He's at Shoney's with Nurse Pickford. They thought we might like to join them for supper. I told him what happened with Sammy and that I'd have to ask you first."

"We don't have to go John." Pastor Jim said. "But it might be good for Sammy to get out of the house for awhile."

"I don't know." John responded. Gazing at Sammy he smiled and asked, "What do you think, champ? Wanna go out to eat?" His smile fell as his little boy continued to silently stare down at his hands. Heaving a sigh John ran a hand across his face before nodding his head and carefully standing. "Jim call Shoney's and tell Josh we'll be there in twenty minutes. I just need to dry this mop Sammy calls hair first." John ordered.

"You got it, John." Jim replied snatching up the phone.

"Caleb, I'm gonna need to borrow you hair dryer." John stated as he headed for the back of the house.

"You have a hair dryer!?" Dean snickered.

"Always took you for a girl Reeves" Bobby managed to get out between chuckles.

Caleb glared at both hunters. "Oh, shut up." he snapped before following John down the hall.

At the Brooks

Investigator Logue let out a relieved breath as he pulled into the Brooks driveway. _"At least he hasn't gotten to them yet."_ He thought as he stepped out of his car and walked up to the front door. He had just gotten to the door when it opened and a young woman stepped out.

"If you're here to talk to me, you can save your breath. I already told that creep Lloyd that he could talk to my lawyer." Maria angrily informed the officer.

Raising his hands in surrender Logue smiled and stood his ground. "Officer Lloyd didn't send me ma'am; the governor did." He told her. "I'm Special Investigator Logue and I'd like a word with Joey if that's alright."

Dropping her defensive stance Maria gave the man a slight smile. "Oh sorry sir. Come right in." she said leading the officer into the living room. "Have a seat. I'll get Mr. Brooks for you."

Investigator Logue took a seat on the couch as he gave the room a cursory glance. A collection of photos above the mantle caught his eyes. Walking over he noticed that the pictures were all of Mr. Brooks and various influential people. _"No wonder the governor sent me here so quickly." _He thought as he gazed at one particular photo. _"Mr. Brooks is extremely well connected."_

"Special Investigator Logue! It's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Brooks cooed extending his hand. "I'm Alfred Brooks, of Brooks Electronics."

Investigator Logue hesitantly shook the offered hand before sitting down on the couch once more. "Mr. Brooks, I won't beat around the bush with you. Enough time's been wasted already. I'm here to talk with your son, Joey. I think he might have some pertinent information."

"Joey?" Mr. Brooks objected. "But he wasn't even here when they were killed."

"I'm aware of that, sir. But I still think he might be able to help." Logue told the surprised man. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Mr. Brooks sat fiddling with his tie as he contemplated the officer's request. Tenderly touching a Christmas photograph of his family he ghosted a finger across his daughter's face. Mr. Brooks took a final glance at his once happy family before turning tear filled eyes on the officer. "I'll have Maria bring Joey down. Just promise you'll be careful with him. He's all I have left in this world."

At Shoney's

John pulled into the nearest parking spot and cut the engine. Peering at his boys in the rearview mirror, he gave them what he hoped was an encouraging smile and then stepped out of the car. Opening the back door he reached in, scooped Sammy into his arms, and quietly shut the door. Placing his free arm on Dean's shoulder, he followed the other hunters across the parking lot and into the restaurant. Feeling Sammy tense at all the noise John began rubbing circles in his son's back. Reaching the booth he quickly sat with his back to the crowded room and set Sammy down next to him.

Dean slid in beside his little brother and smiled. "Did you see all those pies, Sammy!?" he excitedly asked. "There were two shelves full! How about we eat dessert first, huh? Would you like that, Sammy?"

Grinning at Dean's enthusiasm John rolled his eyes. "You know the rules, Dean. Supper first. Then you can have pie."

Joshua waved the waitress over. Seeing the booth full the older woman sauntered over smiling at the thought of the big tip to come. The smile slid from her face as she took in the tense, worried faces of the men in the group. Pulling out her pad she timidly grinned and began her greeting. "My name's Lulu and I'll be your waitress tonight." She greeted as she passed out menus. "What can I get you fellas to drink?" After writing down all the orders, she stuck her pad in her apron pocket. "I'll just give y'all some time to look over the menu. Be right back with your drinks." She said before hastily leaving the booth.

Dean set the menu between himself and Sammy. Opening it to the kids' section he said, "Okay, little brother let's see. They have chicken strips, cheeseburgers, or grilled cheese sandwiches. You want the chicken again or are you gonna try something different for a change?" Dean waited several minutes before trying again. "It's okay if you don't want to talk yet, kiddo. You can just point to what you want. Please Sammy."

Everyone watched as Sammy's hand slowly made its way to the menu and ghosted across stopping on the picture of the grilled cheese.

"Grilled cheese it is!" Dean crowed grinning from ear to ear. Patting Sammy on the back he whispered, "You did good little brother."


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"Grilled cheese it is!" Dean crowed grinning from ear to ear. Patting Sammy on the back he whispered, "You did good little brother."

AN- Just noticed a huge mistake in the previous chapter. I somehow had John and Sammy in two places at once. Sorry about that.

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Dean leaned back in his seat and patted his stomach. "Man, that was the best cheeseburger I've ever had!" he exclaimed.

"Surprised you tasted it at all the way you scarfed that burger down." Caleb teased smirking at the glare Dean shot his way.

"Hey, I was hungry." Dean defended. "Which reminds me. Dad can we order dessert now? Please? Sammy and I are still hungry, aren't we little brother?"

John glanced down at his silent son and frowned. Dean and the others had been trying to get Sammy to talk all through supper and so far the only reaction they had gotten was a slight nod of the boy's head. Scrubbing a weary hand across his face John resigned himself to the fact that Sammy wasn't going to get better overnight like he had thought. This was something they were going to have to deal with for some time to come. Hearing Dean call his name John realized he had zoned out for a minute. Turning his focus on his eldest son he asked, "What was that son?"

Dean grinned mischieviously at his dad. "I asked if we could order dessert. What's a matter old man? You having a senior moment? Should I turn your hearing aid up for you old timer?"

Hearing the snickers at Dean's jab John opened his mouth to reply and froze when he felt Sammy's shoulders shaking. Looking down he was surprised to see his son shaking with quiet laughter. Smiling he glanced back at Dean who was practically beaming at the change in his brother. John waited for the chuckles to die down before answering. "Well I was thinking about getting dessert but after that comment I'm not so sure. Besides I don't think your brother's all that hungry. He barely ate half of his sandwich."

"Aww, c'mon dad." Dean pleaded. "That sandwich was ummm, it was kinda. . . burnt. Yeah, it was burnt on the bottom. Sammy couldn't eat it."

"Burnt, huh?" John questioned raising an eyebrow at his son. "Maybe I should have the waitress bring him. . ."

"No dad." Dean broke in. "You don't have to do that. Honest. Sammy ate half of it anyway. He just needs some dessert now. Ain't that right Sammy? You were just saving room for some pie. Or maybe a piece of hot fudge cake."

Sammy turned at the mention of the cake and gazed up at John with his infamous puppy dog expression. The look that John had never been able to resist under the best of circumstances let alone now.

"Aright, alright."John caved waving the waitress over. "You two win. You can have dessert."

"Sucker" Caleb muttered under his breath.

"I'd like to see you say no to that look." John shot back as he listened to Dean placing the dessert order.

"You better learn how to say no to it before he hits his teenage years." Jim warned.

"Don't worry about it." John replied. "The kid will outgrow that look way before then."

"Yeah, right." Bobby sarcastically stated. "I'll remind you of that when he's sixteen."

"HOW DARE YOU!" a woman at the next table hollered at the man across the table from her. All heads turned to watch the woman as she jumped up and grabbed her glass of water and threw it in the young man's face. "You told me it was nothing! How dare you lie about something so important! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me?"

"_Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?" _echoed through Sammy's head as the scene shifted and he once again witnessed Mrs. Brooks attacking Amy. Sammy began trembling as he watched the horrifying ending to the attack in his mind. His shivering worsened and he struggled to breathe as the events played over and over again.

Feeling his youngest shaking John looked down expecting to see his boy laughing along with Dean and Caleb. The sight that met his eyes however was the exact opposite. Sammy's tear-filled face was staring blankly ahead in terror. Wasting no time John scooped his youngest up and set him in his lap facing away from the arguing couple. He started rubbing Sammy's back as he softly but authoritatively barked out, "Breathe Sammy! I've got you. Just take it slow. C'mon kiddo, breathe with daddy! In…out…in…out. C'mon Sammy you gotta calm down!"

At the Brooks house

Maria came into the living room with Joey trailing behind her. Walking over to the officer she sat on the couch and pulled Joey into her lap.

Investigator Logue bent down in front of Joey and smiled at the little boy. "Hi there Joey. I'm Investigator Logue but you can call me L.A. okay?" Getting a slight nod Logue stood and sat beside Maria. "How about if Maria stays with you while we talk? Would that make you more comfortable Joey?"

Maria watched as Joey once again nodded at the man. Knowing the little boy needed to talk, she took his chin and made him look at her. "Joey, I want you to talk to the nice officer not shake your head. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am" Joey whispered.

"Joey, I need to ask you some questions about your mom." Logue told the youngster. "How did you and your mom get along?"

"Okay, I guess." Joey replied shrugging his shoulders.

"Good" Investigator Logue said as he scribbled something in his pad. "And what about your sister Amy? Did she get along with your mom too?"

"Sometimes" Joey vaguely answered looking down at his shoes.

"What happened when Amy didn't get along with your mom?" Logue pressed.

"Mommy punished her." Joey whispered.

"Did you ever see your mom punishing your sister, Joey?" Logue questioned. Seeing the boy nod Logue added, "Can you tell me about it?"

Joey glanced up at Maria before dropping his gaze back to his feet. "Amy was supposed to clean her room. She was gonna but she needed to finish her homework first so mommy wouldn't get mad. Then mommy came in her room and started yelling 'cause the room wasn't clean." Joey paused and leaned into Maria. Wrapping his arms around her for comfort he continued his tale. "Amy tried to tell mommy she was sorry but mommy wouldn't listen. She pulled one of the cords outta the back of the computer and started hitting Amy with it! I tried to stop her! I really did!"

"It's okay Joey."Maria soothed. "It's okay."

Investigator Logue sat back giving Joey some time to calm down. After a few minutes, he looked back at Joey and gently asked, "Joey, did you mommy ever punish you?"

Joey tightened his grip on Maria as he nodded tears now streaming down his face.

Fighting to keep his composure Logue closed and put away his notepad before asking one more question. "Could you show me?" he watched as the little boy reluctantly nodded. The officer lost what little composure he had left when Joey slowly lifted his shirt. Logue's face screwed up in anger as he took in the sight of the child's scar-littered back.

At the Winchesters

John sat at the kitchen table clutching a mug of coffee and desperately trying to reign in his emotions. It had taken way too long to get Sammy's panic attack under control. And that was due to Nurse Pickford. She had taken control of the situation almost immediately instructing him on what needed to be done. In the end it had taken Sammy passing out to end the attack. And hadn't that just scared the crap outta John. Not to mention the fact that they had no clue what had caused Sammy to freak out in the first place.

Standing John walked over to the sink and dumped the full mug down the drain. Coffee was the last thing he needed; he was shaking bad enough as it was. Trudging over to the doorway he stopped to watch his youngest who was now calmly sitting and reading a book. Squaring his shoulders John buried his emotions and put his game face back on. Sammy needed him to be strong.

At the station

Investigator Logue stood gazing out the window. This case was pretty much wrapped up. Between the coroner's reports and the accounts from Bonnie and Joey he was ninty-nine percent positive that Mrs. Brooks had killed her own daughter in a fit of rage and then committed suicide when she discovered what she had done. Now if he could just talk to the Winchester boy he could wrap things up and get out of this little town. Hearing a knock at the door he turned and walked over to his desk before saying "enter".

"You wanted to see me sir?" Lloyd timidly asked.

"Have a seat." Logue ordered motioning to a nearby chair. "I think you and I have some things to discuss starting with your future as an officer of the law."

At the Brooks

Mr. Brooks stared at his baby boy's back in shock. Shaking he reached down and ghosted his fingers along the marks that crossed the small back. Turning his son around he gently swept him into his arms. "I'm so sorry Joey!" He apologized. "I, I never, I didn't, didn't know."

"It's okay daddy." Joey comforted wrapping his arms around his father's neck.

"No, it's not Joey. I should have known. I'm your father. It's my job to make sure nothing or nobody hurts you." Mr. Brooks explained.

"But you were at work." Joey defended. "And mommy made us promise not to tell. She only did it when we were bad. It was our fa…"

"NO!" Mr. Brooks shouted. Feeling his son tense he lowered his voice. "None of this is your fault. Mommy had no right to do those things to you and Amy. Understand?"

"But" Joey began.

"No buts Joey" Mr. Brooks interrupted. "You and Amy are not to blame for any of this. You know I think you and I should get away for a while. Go on a long vacation."

"Can we go see Maria's family?" Joey asked. "They said they'd take us to Disneyland."

"We can go anywhere you want son." Mr. Brooks replied glancing up at Maria. "Now why don't you and Maria go start packing while I call work and let them know I'm taking some time off to be with my son."

"Yea! Thanks, daddy!" Joey hollered as he raced out of the room.

Mr. Brooks watched his son go before standing and facing Maria. "Thank you for protecting my children, Maria." Mr. Brooks said, "And I want you to know that things are going to change around here. I'm going to be a big part of my son's life from now on. I may not be able to make things right with Amy but I can be a better dad for Joey. The dad I should have been from the start. A good dad like John Winchester."

AN- So what do you think? Getting bored yet?


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"I may not be able to make things right with Amy but I can be a better dad for Joey. The dad I should have been from the start. A good dad like John Winchester."

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Dean leaned against the living room wall watching Sammy quietly reading his borrowed book. That was all his little brother seemed to be interested in doing since the trouble at the restaurant the night before and Dean was sick of it. He wanted his annoying pain in the ass little brother back. This zombie version of the kid was seriously creeping him out. Noticing that Sammy was on the last page of the novel Dean grinned. Grabbing the soccer ball from its spot by the door he waited hoping his brother would want to play now. Seeing Sammy turn back to the first page of the book and start reading the story again was the last straw for the elder Winchester. Dean gripped the ball tightly as he scowled at the boy on the couch. Yanking the front door open he stormed outside. He needed some time to think.

At the station

Investigator Logue gazed around the room at the assembled officers. Knowing what he was about to say would anger the group he took a moment to prepare himself for the task at hand. A few minutes later he stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Good morning gentlemen. Sorry to make some of you come in on your day off but I have an important announcement to make. Officer Lloyd has been relieved of his command as of early this morning." Logue patiently waited for the murmuring to taper off before continuing. "After talking extensively with the governor over the phone, we have decided that Officer Keaton will replace Lloyd until a special election can be held to determine the next sheriff." Hearing the angry chatter begin once more Logue growled out, "Silence!" As the shocked officers turned to glare at the investigator he frowned at the men. "Officer Keaton was chosen because he has the most years on the force. You are expected to treat him with the same respect you did Officer Lloyd. Any type of disrespect or misconduct will be harshly dealt with by me. If you cannot handle that, the door is over there."

At the Winchester's house

Dean dropped the soccer ball and kicked it across the yard with all his might. He needed to bring his Sammy back but he had no clue how to do that. Running over to the ball he drew his foot back to kick it again. Hearing the faint sound of piano music he stopped and looked down the street. He grinned as he stared at the small house down the street where Sammy's friend Mr. John lived. "_Of course"_ Dean thought. _"That's it."_ Kicking himself for not thinking of the man sooner the elder Winchester raced for the house. He had the perfect plan. Now all he needed was a little help from Pastor Jim and his dad.

In the kitchen

Pastor Jim, Caleb, and Bobby were quietly sitting around the kitchen table when Dean came racing in the door. "Where's dad?" he asked panting.

"Your father's taking a nap, Dean." Pastor Jim replied. "He was wiped out after spending most of last night comforting your brother."

"Why? Something wrong?" Caleb asked around a yawn.

"I thought of a way to help Sammy but I need dad." Dean told the others.

"How about if your favorite uncle helps out instead?" Bobby questioned. "Will that work?"

"Sure" Dean replied. Smirking he quickly glanced around the room before turning back to Bobby. "So where's Uncle Josh?"

Bobby snatched off his ball cap and swatted at Dean who easily dodged the blow. "Uncle Josh my ass." He snorted.

"Is there anything Caleb and I can do, Dean?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact there is." Dean said. "Could you go into town and get something for me? I need a small keyboard for Sammy. I'll pay you back. I already have about twenty bucks saved up and I can get more."

"I'll be happy to get Sammy a keyboard." Jim told the boy. "And you don't have to pay me back. Consider it a late birthday present."

"Thanks, Pastor Jim" Dean said gratefully. "Uhh, Caleb, you stay here with dad. Tell him we're at Mr. John's if he wakes up before we get back."

"You (yawn) got it dude. I'll be (yawn) glad to baby (yawn) sit the old man for ya." Caleb whispered as he dropped his head onto his folded arms.

Smiling Dean turned and headed to the living room. "C'mon favorite uncle. Get it in gear!" he called over his shoulder.

Rolling his eyes Bobby walked into the living room with Dean and stood beside the couch.

Plopping down on the couch Dean nudged his little brother and said, "I heard Mr. John playing the piano a minute ago Sammy. Let's go see him." Seeing his brother's eyes leave the book and focus on him Dean turned on his mega watt smile. "You told him you'd be back, remember?"

Sammy glanced from his big brother to the front door before dropping his gaze to the floor and shaking his head.

Bending down in front of the younger boy Bobby tapped Sammy's leg and said, "Come on Sammy. I'd really like to see that book of old cars that Dean told me about. I'll even let you ride on my back. What do you say?"

Sammy's head popped up an amused expression on his face.

"Don't give me that look young man." Bobby playfully scolded. "I'm not old and decrepit yet."

Dean held his breath as he watched his little brother consider Bobby's offer. When Sammy carefully climbed on his uncle's back still clutching his book, Dean jumped off the couch with a grin. His plan was working perfectly.

At the station

"Are you sure about this?" Officer Keaton asked the Investigator.

"You'll do fine." Logue assured him. "I'll see to that. Now I have one more thing I need to do before I can close the Brooks case. I'm going to the Winchester's to talk with Sammy."

"Last I heard he still wasn't talking about what happened, sir." Keaton informed him.

"That may be true but I'm going to try anyway. You want to come with?" Logue asked grabbing his jacket and keys.

"I'm right behind you." Keaton responded as he followed the investigator out the office door.

At Mr. John's

Dean knocked on the door smothering a laugh as Bobby huffed up beside him.

"Well hello there boys." Mr. John greeted. "Come on in." Mr. John wheeled himself into the living room stopping in front of the piano. "I see you brought a friend with you today. I'm Mr. John but you can call me Johnny."

"Bobby, the boys' uncle." Bobby said shaking the older man's hand.

"Oh yes, you were one of the men at the hospital. Nice to see you again. Why don't you and Dean have a seat on the couch over there?" Mr. John instructed. "Sammy, you ready to learn the rest of the song?" Seeing the boy nod his head Mr. John smiled and added, "You'll have to speak up son. I couldn't hear you."

"Yes sir" Sammy whispered as he walked over to the older man. Stepping in between the foot rests he carefully placed his hands on the piano keys.

"Why don't you play the part you learned yesterday?" Mr. John suggested. He listened as Sammy played the first part of the song perfectly. "Very good Sammy." He praised. "You're a natural at the piano."

Bobby and Dean sat and watched as Sammy very slowly came out of his shell. Mr. John's soothing tone and praise worked wonders as Sammy's voice became louder and his questions came more often. By the end of the afternoon Sammy was a chatterbox once again.

Mr. John looked down at the young boy and smiled. "That's enough for today, Sammy. We'll work on it again another day. I see you brought the Hardy Boys book back. Would you like to borrow book three?"

"Can I?" Sammy asked smiling at his friend. He followed Mr. John across the room to an old chest in the corner. The little boy gazed in awe at the selection of books and other treasures in the chest. "Thank you" he said as he took the third book from the old man.

"You know what I like about those books, Sammy?" Mr. John asked. Seeing Sammy nod his head he said, "The relationship between the two brothers. Joe knows that no matter what kind of scrape he gets into his big brother will always be there to take care of him. They're kind of like you and Dean. Your big brother takes good care of you doesn't he?"

"Yeah, Dean's the best." Sammy told his friend.

"I imagine he is." Mr. John replied. "And I bet Dean listens to you when you have a problem. You can tell him anything even if it's a little scary, can't you?"

Sammy peered over at Dean. "Yeah" he whispered.

Mr. John smiled. "You boys better be getting on home now before your dad starts to worry about you. I'm glad you came to see me today."

Dean, Sammy, and Bobby followed Mr. John to the door. Walking out the door they thanked the man for all his help and then headed down the walkway. "Bye, Mr. John." The boys called waving at their friend.

At the Winchester's house

"I really need to talk to your son sir. I need his account to close this case once and for all." Investigator Logue stated.

"And I told you that Sammy's not in any shape to talk about what happened." John growled. "Your case is just gonna have to wait. I will not risk my son having another panic attack just to close your case."

"I think you should leave now sir" Caleb advised. "John is one person you do not want as an enemy."

Logue's eyes narrowed. "Is that a. . ." His sentence was cut off by the slamming of the screen door.

"Dad! We're home!" Dean yelled as he walked into the house with Sammy by his side. Seeing his dad and Caleb and the two officers facing off he froze pulling Sammy closer to him. "What's going on guys?" he asked.

"Dean, take Sammy to your room while the officers and I talk." John ordered.

"Sammy" Logue called out. "Can I talk to you for a. . ."

"I already told you no" John ground out taking a step towards the investigator.

Sammy walked over and stood between his father and Logue. Putting out his hand to stop John he whispered, "its okay, daddy. I'll talk to him."


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Sammy walked over and stood between his father and Logue. Putting out his hand to stop John he whispered, "its okay, daddy. I'll talk to him."

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"Are you sure son?" John asked. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I'm sure dad." Sammy replied giving his father a slight smile.

"Okay, if you're sure about this kiddo." John agreed. "But if you decide that you want to stop, we'll stop. Alright?"

"Agreed," Investigator Logue said. "Why don't we all sit back down and then Sammy can tell us what he remembers?"

John walked over to the couch and took a seat. He smiled as Sammy climbed in his lap and leaned against him while Dean quietly sat beside them. He could hear the others gathering around the back of the couch offering comfort by their presence alone.

Investigator Logue waited until everyone was settled to begin his questioning. "Sammy, why don't we start with when you got to the Brook's play house? Were you there all night or did you get there that morning? We know you were there at one time since your stuffed dog was found inside the house."

"You found Spot? Where is he? Can I have him back?" Sammy questioned. "Please?"

"I'll make sure your dog is returned to you Sammy." Keaton said.

"Thanks" Sammy replied glancing back at Josh.

"Sammy, when did you get to the play house?" Logue redirected.

Sammy grabbed Dean's hand and gripped it tightly. "I, um, I went there that night. I knew nobody would find me there 'cause Amy never used it anymore. I stayed there all night."

"Is that when the dog bit you?" Dean asked curiously.

"Yeah, I went out to get some water from the hose and Sampson saw me." Sammy explained. "It wasn't his fault. He didn't know it was me. He let go as soon as he recognized me."

"Okay, so you stayed in the play house all night. What happened next, Sammy?" Logue questioned.

"I waited until Mrs. Brooks left the next morning and then I knocked on the door. Maria let me in and let me use the bathroom. She even fixed some breakfast for me." Sammy stated. "After breakfast she talked me into calling my dad but he wasn't home. So she sent me upstairs to take a shower. I was really tired when I got out of the shower and I think I kinda went to sleep."

"What about when you woke up? What happened then?" Logue pressed.

Dean watched as Sammy seemed to sink into himself. Noticing that his brother was becoming pale as he stared at the officer, Dean scooted over on the couch blocking Sammy's view of the man. He smiled as he felt Bobby settle on the arm of the couch behind him ensuring that the officer was completely out of sight. Lifting his little brother's chin he tilted his head up so they were eye to eye. "It's okay, Sammy. I'm right here. Just talk to me, okay?" he coached.

Sammy nodded his head and tightened his grip on his big brother's hand. "Okay." He whispered. "The shouting woke me up. I left the room and looked through the banister to see what was wrong." Sammy stopped and leaned his head against John.

John began rubbing Sammy's back to comfort him. "Its okay Sammy. We're right here." He soothed.

Sammy took a deep breath and continued. "Mrs. Brooks, she was, was yelling at Amy. She was so angry. I've never seen anybody that angry before. Maria was trying to get her to calm down and Amy, she was crying and Mrs. Brooks just kept yelling at her. She made Maria leave and then she, she" Sammy's breathe hitched as tears started streaming down his face. "She grabbed the, the poker and, and" Sammy stopped and buried his face in John's chest.

"That's enough!" John declared. "I hope you got what you needed 'cause Sammy's done talking."

"Mr. Winchester, please. We just need a little more information from him." Logue begged.

"No! Can't you see what this is doing to him?" John bellowed wincing as Sammy jumped.

Dean glared at the investigator before turning his attention to his little brother. "You did good, Sammy." He comforted running his free hand through his brother's long hair. "It's all over. You don't have to talk about it anymore."

Sammy peered up at his brother as Mr. John's words echoed through his mind. _"You can tell him anything even if it's a little scary, can't you?" _Nodding Sammy drew his hand across his face and squared his shoulders. "No, I wanna tell you the rest Dean." Swallowing Sammy related the worst part of the story. "Mrs. Brooks started hi, hitting Amy with the, the poker. She was yelling really mean stuff at her the whole time. Then the poker, it hit Amy's head. She stood there and then she fell and didn't move no more. Mrs. Brooks tried to wake her up but she was so still and the blood, the blood was all over. Mrs. Brooks looked so lost, like she didn't know what to do and then she got this weird look on her face. She walked over to the cabinet and got out one of the guns. She went back to Amy and, and played with the uh, the blood. Then she stood up and put the gun, she put the gun, I can't." Sammy cried once again burying his face.

"That's alright Sammy. You told us more than enough son." Logue praised patting the boy's back. "We'll be going now. Thank you for telling me what happened. You're a very brave boy Sammy." Logue walked over to the door and left the house.

"I'll send someone back with Sammy's dog." Keaton told John before following Logue out the door.

At the Brooks

Maria helped Joey stuff the last of his clothes for the trip into his suitcase. Grabbing her own bags she carefully led the way down the stairs. She placed her bags and Joey's beside the front door and then headed back upstairs to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

Joey hurried into the living room where he's father was just finishing a phone call. "We're through packing, daddy." He said. "Can we go now?"

Smiling Mr. Brooks picked up his son. "Not quite yet, Joey. The plane's not ready yet. Besides, we have one stop to make before we go to the airport."

"We do? Where?" Joey asked excitedly.

"We're going to see your friend Sammy." Mr. Brooks told his son.

At the Winchesters

Sammy continued to cling to his father and brother long after the crying stopped. John and Dean had tried everything to reassure the youngest Winchester that he was safe but Sammy refused to budge.

Jim sat on a nearby chair worrying about the small family. He knew they were all close to their breaking point. Wanting to help his friends he racked his brain for a way to help Sammy. Suddenly recalling Dean's earlier request he rushed out of the room. Snatching the bag he'd left on the kitchen table he pulled out a long box. Opening the box he pulled the keyboard out, installed the batteries, and then walked back into the living room. Setting the small instrument on the coffee table he said, "I've got a surprise for you Sammy. I know I'm a little late for your birthday but better late than never right?" He smiled as Sammy's eyes locked with his for just a few seconds before drifting down to the keyboard. "Dean told me one of your friends was teaching you to play. Think you could play something for me? Please, Sammy?"

Dean felt Sammy slowly release his hold on his hand. He watched grinning as Sammy climbed off John's lap and settled on the floor in front of the instrument. He tentatively touched the keys getting a feel of the new keyboard before turning it on. After carefully placing his fingers into position, Sammy slowly began to play. As he finished he looked up and smiled as his friend.

"That was beautiful Sammy." Pastor Jim praised. "'O Danny Boy' is one of my favorite songs."

"Great job, Sammy" John said as he wrapped his arms around his youngest. "Who taught you to play like that, huh?"

"Mr. John taught me daddy." Sammy replied. "He's the best!"

"Remind me to thank him" John stated as the doorbell rang. Getting up from the couch he walked over to the door. "Must be Keaton with your dog." He said as he opened the door and came face to face with Mr. Brooks.

AN- Hope Sammy's talk with Logue didn't disappoint anyone.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"Must be Keaton with your dog." He said as he opened the door and came face to face with Mr. Brooks.

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"Sammy!" Joey called as he dashed into the room past an angry John. Running over to the table Joey plopped down on the floor next to his friend. "Maria said Sampson bit you. Did it hurt? Can I see?"

Maria stepped in front of Mr. Brooks and smiled at John. "Afternoon Mr. Winchester. Sorry about Joey. He's just a little excited about seeing Sammy. I better get over there before the boys start one of their wrestling contests." She said as she squeezed by John. Laying a hand on John's shoulder she whispered, "Please just hear Mr. Brooks out. He really is sorry about the things he did."

John watched Maria walk over and sit on the couch behind the boys before turning back and glaring at Brooks. "You've got two minutes, Brooks." He growled.

Mr. Brooks took a timid step into the house and stopped. Gazing up at the angry man he almost lost his nerve. But the memory of all the trouble his family had caused spurred him on. "Mr. Winchester, I've come to apologize for my atrocious behavior. I had no right to accuse you and your son of harming my wife and daughter. I was just so overwhelmed by their sudden deaths. I wanted someone to blame and unfortunately you were the closest target. I truly regret everything my family put you through and I hope you will be able to forgive us one day."

Noticing John's stunned expression Bobby decided to speak up. "It's alright Mr. Brooks. John and I both know where you're coming from and how easy it is to get caught up in the feelings of grief and anger. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Thank you for saying that sir, but I'm afraid I can't agree with you." Mr. Brooks stated. "You see, this entire mess is my fault. If I had been a husband and father to my family instead of being a business man none of this would have happened. I was so consumed by my work that I never had time for my family. My job always came first no matter what. I can't tell you how many ball games and awards ceremonies I missed because I was working. If only I'd put my family first. I would have seen what my wife was doing and put a stop to it before it could escalate into what happened."

"I'm sure you were just doing what you thought was right for your family." Bobby broke in. "We all have things in our past that we wish we could have done differently."

On the couch

"I'm sorry Joey." Sammy whispered dropping his head.

Joey sadly smiled at his friend. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault."

"But, but I could've done . . . something. I should've, should've tried to help." Sammy stammered.

"No" Joey firmly said. "When Mommy got angry, nobody could stop her; not even Amy. She would have just hurt you, too."

"He's right Sammy." Maria agreed wiping a stray hair out of Sammy's face. "I've tried to stop her before and it just made her angrier. There was nothing you could have done to stop what happened honey."

"Hey, Maria. What's in the bag?" Dean asked hoping to distract his little brother and prevent Sammy from withdrawing again.

Smiling at the obvious ploy Maria winked at Dean before replying, "It's something for Sammy. Isn't it, Joey?"

"Yeah, I almost forgot. Remember how Amy loved to take pictures of us?" Joey questioned reaching into the bag. He pulled a soccer ball shaped photo album out of the bag and carefully handed it to Sammy. "This is what she wanted them for. She was making photo albums for both of us. Maria said she was planning on giving them to us at the party on the last day of school. But" Joey stopped as Sammy opened the album and began slowly flipping through the book.

"I remember that one." Dean whispered. "She had that old lady take it at that sorry excuse for a fair. Half the rides didn't even work, remember Sammy?"

"Yeah" Sammy whispered as he gazed at the picture of the four smiling kids. With his finger he lightly traced Amy's hair and face.

"Maria helped me finish it for you Sammy." Joey told him. "We wanted you to have it before we left. Daddy's taking us on vacation for a while."

"Thanks Joey." Sammy cried as he threw his arms around Joey.

At the door

"I know I can never make up for all the trouble my family has caused yours but I'd like to try." Mr. Brooks offered. "I know the kids were all talking about going to Disney World so I thought that would be the perfect thing for the boys." Seeing John about to speak, Mr. Brooks put up a hand to silence him. "I've already talked with a friend that works there and it's all arranged except for the date. He's aware of Sammy's condition and is going to make sure that you all have a great time."

"All?" John asked. "What do you mean all?"

"Why, your whole family of course." Mr. Brooks replied. "You, your sons, and your brothers and nephew are all included."

"That's very generous of you Mr. Brooks. But I'm afraid we can't"

"You can. I've already taken care of everything including the hotel rooms, tickets, and food. All you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself." Mr. Brooks informed them. "Please let me do this for you. It's the least I could do."

"Can we dad? Please?" Dean begged as he walked up to his dad. "For Sammy?"

"It might help Sammy to get out of here and have some fun." Jim pointed out.

"Yeah and it'd be nice to see the kid acting like an overexcited puppy again." Bobby added.

John glanced back at the two boys who were solemnly sitting on the floor looking through some kind of book and then turned back to Mr. Brooks. "Okay, we'll go." He said. "Thank you Mr. Brooks."

"You're welcome." Mr. Brooks responded holding a card out to John. "This is my friend Michael's number. He said to just call him the day before you want to come and he'll get everything ready for you. Oh and he also said to tell you that the next couple of weeks would be a good time to come. There aren't many visitors yet since schools are still in session so you wouldn't have to worry about the crowd upsetting Sammy."

John stuck the card in his pocket and held out his hand. "Thank you again, Mr. Brooks."

Mr. Brooks shook John's hand and smiled. "Guess we need to go now. Our plane should be almost ready." He said walked toward the couch. Kneeling down he ruffled Sammy's hair and then took Joey's hand. "Time to go Joey. We don't want to miss our plane."

"Bye Sammy" Joey said as he gave his friend a high five. "I'll call you when we get back, okay."

"Okay" Sammy replied sadly knowing he wouldn't be there when Joey returned. "Bye Joey."

Maria leaned down and enveloped Sammy in a hug. "Bye honey. Remember what we talked about."

"I will." Sammy assured her. "Bye Maria. And thanks."

"You're welcome sweetie." Maria whispered before letting go. Standing she took Joey's hand and followed Mr. Brooks to the door.

Mr. Brooks stopped outside the door and turned to John. "Good bye Mr. Winchester and thank you for showing me the kind of father I should be. Take good care of your boys."

John watched as they walked down the sidewalk and climbed into their car. Closing the door he walked back over and sat on the couch. "Wasn't expecting that." He told the others.

"I'm just happy to know that Mr. Brooks is a good man." Jim said. "I was worried he knew all about what his wife was doing."

Dean sat on the floor and threw an arm around Sammy. Feeling his little brother tense at the mere mention of Mrs. Brooks he tightened his grip and butted into the conversation. "Dad, did you mean what you said about the trip? Can we really go?" he asked steering the talk to a less stressful topic.

"Yes, we're going Dean." John replied. "I'll call this Michael fellow tomorrow and figure out the best day to go."

"You hear that little brother?" Dean asked tickling Sammy. "We're going to Disney World!"


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"You hear that little brother?" Dean asked tickling Sammy. "We're going to Disney World!"

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"Boys! Get a move on! You're gonna be late for school!" John bellowed glaring down the hallway at the boys' closed bedroom door.

"I'm not so sure about this, John." Jim said from his spot on the couch. "I don't think Sammy's ready to go back to school."

"Me either" Josh agreed. "Plus I know Sammy's nightmares kept you up a good part of last night. The boys have to be worn slap out."

"They're fine." John replied. "They only woke up a couple of times last night."

"I still don't think Sammy's ready for this." Jim said.

"That doctor said that we needed to stick to our daily routines and school's part of that." John defended.

"Isn't that the doc that you said was a quack?" Caleb asked with a grin.

Ignoring Caleb's remark John walked over and sat on the arm of the couch. "Sammy will be fine guys." He assured the others. "The kid loves school, always has. Besides its only school. What could…"

"If you finish that sentence, I'll knock you into next week!" Bobby growled out.

"Not helping, Bobby." Jim scolded. "Please rethink this John. Sammy's come a long way. I'd hate for anything to send him back into a tailspin."

"Nothing will. Sammy will be in the room with his friends and Ms. Hendrix. They'll make sure he has a good day." John told them.

"That's right. Sammy'll be fine." Caleb said as he stepped up beside John. "But if you're that worried about the little guy, I could always stay with him. You know, just to make sure he's safe."

"I don't think the school's ready for that, Caleb." Josh teased.

"Enough!" John called. "The boys are going. Dean has tests the next three days so he has to go and…"

"I don't have to be there dad." Dean interrupted walking into the room. "If you have an "A" in the class, you don't have to take the final and I have all A's."

"That's wonderful, Dean." Jim congratulated before turning to smile at John. "So now there's no reason for the boys to go."

"Actually I kinda want to go this morning if that's okay." Dean said.

"You want to go to school, Dean? Come here a minute and let me feel your forehead." Bobby joked.

"That the best you got, old timer? You're really losing your touch." Dean shot back.

"Catch me after I've had my second cup of coffee and I'll show you who's losing their touch." Bobby growled.

"Hot teacher, Dean?" Caleb broke in. "Were you gonna introduce me or were you playing to just keep her to yourself?"

Dean's face screwed up in disgust which was quickly replaced by a mischievous smirk. "Sure I'll introduce you to the science teacher. Mr. Harris will love hearing that you think he's hot." He stated before bursting out laughing.

"Good one Dean." Josh praised as he high fived the boy.

John waited for the laughter to die down and then spoke. "So why do you want to go, Dean?"

"Easy. The science test is a lab. And there's this one guy, Kenny, who always screws up something. Last time he accidently set his notebook on fire! It was so cool! There's no telling what he'll do this time." Dean told them.

"Now that sounds like the Dean I know." Jim said with a sigh.

"Hey Sammy," Bobby called out silencing the conversation. He walked over to the little boy who was hugging his stuffed animals to his chest. Kneeling down he smiled at Sammy and ruffled his hair. "You ready to go, sport?"

Sammy gazed fearfully at his uncle. "Do I have to?" he whispered.

"It'll be okay, Sammy." Dean reassured as he came up and wrapped an arm around Sammy's shoulders. "How about we make a deal? We'll go but if you don't like it or get upset, we'll come back home no questions asked. Deal?"

Sammy shuffled from foot to foot a few minutes thinking over the offer. "Can I take my animals?" he asked.

"Sure" Dean replied.

"Thanks for hooking him on stuffed animals, Josh." John muttered.

"I seem to remember him carrying a stuffed bear when I met him, John." Josh fired back. "Can't…"

"Shhh" Jim hushed glaring at the two and then focusing back on the two youngest Winchesters.

Sammy glanced at his dad before slowly nodding his head. "Okay, Dean. I'll go."

"Dean, you and Sammy go ahead to the car. I'm coming in a minute." John ordered. He waited until the boys were out of the room to grab his keys and turn to his friends. "Be back in a minute."

"I still say this is a bad idea." Jim repeated.

"For the last time, Jim, I know my boy. He'll be just fine." John gruffly said before walking out of the house.

"If I had a nickel for every time he said that, I'd be a millionaire by now." Bobby grumbled as he plopped down on the chair and resettled his ball cap on his head.

Twenty minutes later at the school

John stood outside Ms. Hendrix's classroom with Sammy plastered to his side. "Come on kiddo. What's wrong?" he asked. "I thought you loved school."

Sammy vigorously shook his head. "I wanna go home." He whispered miserably. "Please, daddy. Don't make me stay here."

John took one look at his frightened little boy and caved. Wrapping his arms around Sammy he picked his son up and headed for the front door. "It's alright, Sammy. You don't have to stay." He soothed.

"What about Dean?" Sammy quietly asked as he laid his head on his daddy's shoulder. "Can he come, too?"

"Dean wanted to come this morning, Sammy. We'll come back and get him at lunch time." John told him as he walked out the front door and up to the impala. Opening the driver's door he carefully set Sammy inside and then climbed in. John drove home with one arm securely wrapped around his youngest.

At the house

The four hunters sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee and making small talk. Hearing the roar of the impala's engine the men quickly got up and walked into the living room.

"Betcha twenty bucks John has Sammy with him when he comes through the door." Joshua challenged as he eyed the front door.

"Ain't no way you're getting anyone to take that bet." Bobby advised as he too watched the door.

"Cool it you two. That's the last thing John needs to hear." Jim warned. Seeing the door open he stood and called out, "Hey John, Sammy. Want me to fix you something to eat?"

"Thanks, Jim." John replied as he set Sammy on the couch. "I think Sammy would like that. Right kiddo?"

Sammy snuggled up to Bobby before nodding his head. Leaning back against his uncle he closed his eyes and was asleep in minutes.

Pastor Jim motioned for John to follow him into the kitchen. Going over to the cabinets he quietly grabbed some pans, mixing bowls, and spoons and set them on the table. Jim took a moment to compose himself before glaring at John. "I warned you that taking Sammy to school was a bad idea but you refused to listen. And now Sammy's paying the price."

"Don't you think I know that Jim." John growled. "I just…"

"Didn't stop and consider the warning we were giving you." Jim finished. "You've got to start listening instead of charging into things with your "I'm always right" attitude."

"I don't do that!" John protested. Ducking his head against Jim's harsh glare he changed his mind. "Well not all the time."

"John" Jim warned as he beat the pancake batter with a little more force than necessary.

"Okay, you got me." John caved. "But I really thought it would be good for Sammy. I don't understand what scared him. It wasn't like he was around strangers. He's known all the people who work there since January."

"He knew Mrs. Brooks, too." Jim reminded him.

"Point taken" John conceded. "Guess I really screwed up, huh?"

"You'll get no argument from me." Jim said laughing at the look on his friend's face.

"So what do you think I should do now?" John asked as he ran a hand down his face.

"Why don't you call Mr. Brooks' friend and see when we could go? I think a vacation would do Sammy a world of good." Jim advised as he poured the batter into the pan.

"Sounds good to me." John replied. Walking over to the fridge he retrieved the card that was under one of the magnets and went into the other room. He had a call to make.

AN- Just wanted to let you know that I'm headed to Disney World (I know) this weekend to see my niece. I'll try to update this at least one more time before I leave. Thanks again for reading.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. Walt Disney World and all its characters belong to the Disney Corporation. (I think) I own nothing.

RedDragen- You asked for something a long time ago and I finally got around to adding it. Hope you like it!

Previously on Supernatural-"Sounds good to me." John replied. Walking over to the fridge he retrieved the card that was under one of the magnets and went into the other room. He had a call to make.

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"Daddy, can we go get Dean?" Sammy asked. "He's probably through with his test by now."

Glancing at his watch John replied, "Not yet, kiddo. Dean's class won't be over for two more hours." Turning he watched as his youngest dropped his head onto his folded arms and stared at the wall clock once more. Frowning John tried to figure out why his youngest was so worried about his big brother. But for the life of him he couldn't come up with anything and he was at a loss as to what to do. Sammy had been sitting staring at the clock since he had woken up an hour earlier. And every thirty minutes or so he would ask to go get Dean before turning to stare at the clock again. Unsure as to a way to comfort his son he glanced over at Pastor Jim in a silent bid for help.

Sensing John's frustration Jim decided he needed to intervene. He walked over to the couch and sat behind the youngest Winchester. "I'm afraid watching that clock won't make the time go by any faster, Sammy." He said. "Why don't you play some music for me while we wait?" He sighed as Sammy shook his head eyes never leaving the clock.

"Hey Sammy" Caleb called, "you wanna go outside and kick the soccer ball around?"

"No thanks, Caleb" Sammy whispered as he continued his clock watching.

Bobby shook his head at the other men's obvious distraction tactics. Deciding they needed to get to the bottom of things he walked over and sat on the floor beside the littlest Winchester. Gently gripping Sammy's chin he forced the little boy to look at him. "What's wrong, Sammy?" he asked.

"Uncle Bobby, do, do you think that Dean's, that Dean's okay?" Sammy stammered.

"_So that's what this is about."_ Bobby thought as he brushed Sammy's long bangs out of his eyes. "Dean's just fine, champ." He assured the youngster.

"But what if…" Sammy began only to be cut off by his dad.

"No buts Sammy." John firmly stated as he walked over to his son. "Nothing bad is going to happen to Dean or to you. Not while I'm around." Sitting down on the couch he pulled Sammy into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. "Everything's gonna be okay Sammy. You'll see."

John sat and held his youngest for several minutes giving Sammy the comfort and security that he needed. Finally he reluctantly loosened his grip. "You okay now Sammy?" he questioned.

Sammy half nodded as he leaned into his father even more.

"Good." John said ruffling his son's hair. "Cause I have a job I need you to help me with."

Curiosity getting the better of him Sammy sat up and glanced at his dad. "Really?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Well I talked to that friend of Mr. Brooks while you were sleeping, and he said that we could check into the hotel tonight and hit the park first thing in the morning." John told him. "Which means we have a lot of packing to do. Think you could get your bag and Dean's packed for me?"

"Yes sir!" Sammy hollered jumping off his dad's lap and racing out of the room.

"Looks like someone's excited." Josh said with a grin. "But I thought you weren't gonna say anything until after you picked up Dean."

"I wasn't." John conceded. "But I had to do something to wipe that look off Sammy's face."

"Good idea, John" Jim said. "That's the most animated I've seen Sammy since this whole mess began."

"Sure is" Bobby agreed. "And if he's like that now, I can just imagine what he'll be like when we get there. We're gonna have our hands full keeping up with that one."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." John said as he began to make his way out of the room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I better go help Sammy with the packing before he decides to pack the whole house."

Two hours later

"Dean!" Sammy shouted as he rushed down the school hallway and barreled into his brother knocking him backwards.

"Geez, calm down little brother" Dean said with a chuckle. "It hasn't been that long since you saw me. Just a few…wait a minute. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to still be in class?"

"Sammy went back home with me Dean." John explained as they began to walk down the hall. "He wasn't ready to come back."

"Oh" Dean said with a frown as he tightened his grip on his little brother. "He okay?"

"He's fine, Dean." John replied. "So how was lab? Kenny set any more fires?"

"Even better dad!" Dean shouted as he opened the school door and headed for the impala. "Kenny discovered how to make a stink bomb! A really nasty one! He got so freaked out by the smell that he tried to get rid of the thing by picking up the beaker and throwing it. The sucker landed right in the middle of Mr. Harris' desk and broke in a million pieces! Mr. Harris didn't stand a chance. It was awesome!"

"Mr. Harris okay?" John asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. He'll just have a hard time smelling anything for a while." Dean said smirking. Reaching the impala he opened the back door and waited for Sammy to climb in before sliding in beside him. "So what did you guys do?"

"We got everything packed Dean." Sammy proudly stated. "We're going to Disney World tonight. Aren't we daddy?"

"You bet Sammy." John replied. He turned left out of the parking lot and drove towards town. "Thought we'd stop and eat lunch. Let you two run off some of that energy before we go."

"Alright!" Dean cheered. "I'm starving!"

"Why am I not surprised?" John joked looking for the nearest kid friendly restaurant. Spotting one he called out, "Okay, how about McDon…"

"NO!" Dean and Sammy both shouted.

Seeing the clown statue on the playground John grimaced and quickly drove past. "Sorry. With everything that's been going on I kinda forgot about that."

"No problem dad." Dean said as he gazed out the windshield. "Hey look! There's a good one dad. Sammy and I both like that place."

John pulled into the parking lot and cut off the engine. He climbed out of the car and followed his swiftly moving sons into the fast food restaurant. After getting into the shortest line he turned to the boys. "You guys tell me what you want. You can play while I order."

"I'll have the biggest burger they've got with extra onions." Dean told his father with a grin. "Oh, and some pie."

"Chicken nuggets, please." Sammy stated before following Dean out to the playground.

John cautiously kept an eye on the boys while he stood in line. Finally getting his order he carefully carried the loaded down tray outside to a bench next to the playground. "Time to eat, boys." He hollered. He watched amused as both boys practically inhaled their meal and then raced off to play. He sat back and slowly savored his own food making sure he gave his sons plenty of time to wear themselves out.

A few hours and several cups of coffee later he called the boys and the small family left the restaurant and headed home. After a short stop to pick up their bags and the other hunters, they set off for Disney.

Sammy eyes sparkled in delight as the gigantic Disney World main gate came into view. "Cool!" he whispered as he pressed his face against the window to get a better look. "We're really going."

Dean and Sammy both spent the next few minutes glancing from one side of the road to the other taking in all the various billboards and sites. They jaws dropped open when they saw the twin tracks above the road they were on. They scanned both sides for trains but the tracks were empty. Slightly disappointed they turned their attention to the huge white domed building they could see in the distance.

"Uhhh, Johnny? You sure you got the right hotel?" Bobby asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the biggest hotel any of them had ever seen.

"I think so. I followed Michael's directions to the letter."" John hesitantly replied as he parked in the lot that said hotel check in. He climbed out and took Sammy's hand. "Come on guys. Let's go check in."

"Look! The tracks go inside the hotel!" Dean shouted pointing at the middle of the building. "That's awesome!"

"Can we ride the train, daddy? Please?" Sammy begged as they walked into the hotel lobby.

"We'll see, Sammy." John replied looking around. "You guys stay here. I'll go see if we're in the right place."

Dean and Sammy gazed around the lobby in awe pointing out the various sights to the group. A few minutes later they saw their dad approaching with another man. Dean stepped in front of his little brother and called out, "All set dad?"

"Yes we are." John answered. "Guys this is Mr. Brooks' friend, Michael Taylor. Mr. Taylor these are my sons Dean and Sammy."

"Good afternoon Dean and Sammy." Mr. Taylor greeted. "Mr. Brooks told me a lot about you. I'm glad you're here."

Hearing Jim clear his throat John said, "Sorry. These are the boys' uncles Jim, Bobby, and Josh. And that's their cousin Caleb."

"Nice to meet all of you." Mr. Taylor told the group. "Why don't I show you to your rooms so you can relax for a while?"

"That would be wonderful." Pastor Jim replied.

Mr. Taylor led the group to the elevators on one side of the building and pressed the button for the fourth floor. As they rode the elevator he filled them in on all the amenities the hotel offered.

The first thing Sammy noticed when they got off the elevator was the set of twin tracks in the middle of the building. "When does the train come?" he asked.

"Those tracks are for a very special type of train Sammy. It's called a monorail and they come through the hotel several times a day." Mr. Taylor explained. "You can even ride them to the park if you want to."

"Hot dog!" Sammy shouted.

"Don't worry gentlemen. This isn't your floor. I just wanted to show you where you'll be eating tonight. You have a 7:00 reservation at Chef Mickey's for supper. It's right over there." Mr. Taylor informed them. "Now let's go to your floor."

After another short ride in the elevator, the group finally made it to their room, 1402. Mr. Taylor unlocked the door with a key card and then turned to address the men. "Mr. Brooks booked you two connecting suites." He stated as he handed both key cards over to John along with a map of the Magic Kingdom. "Thought the boys might like to take a look at the map before you go in tomorrow."

"Thank you for everything Mr. Taylor." John sincerely said.

"You're welcome Mr. Winchester. Glad I could help out." Mr. Taylor replied. "Oh, two more things. Here are first time visitor badges for the boys. Make sure they wear them. The badges with blue stars are a special code. The employees were told about Sammy's condition and they will be looking for that badge. They'll make sure you are aware of anything that might potentially be a problem for Sammy. And the fireworks show tonight might be one of them. You'll be able to see and hear it from your balcony."

"Thanks for the heads up. Loud noises have been a big problem." Bobby said.

"I really need to be going now. You gentlemen enjoy your evening." Mr. Taylor stated before hurrying to the elevators.

"Nice guy." Jim said as he closed the door. Walking over to the couch he sat down relishing in the soft comfort.

"Can we go to the pool, dad?" Dean called from one of the bedrooms.

"Sure Dean. Just give me a minute to change." John answered heading into the other room. Minutes later John, Caleb, and the boys left in search of the pool while the others stayed in the room to relax.

Sammy and Dean spent a big part of the afternoon and early evening swimming in the pool with Caleb and relaxing in the whirlpool. They played in the water until John told them it was time to go at six o'clock.

After a quick trip to the room to dry off and change, the entire group made their way to the fourth floor. They stepped out of the elevator just as the monorail glided by.

"Awesome!" Sammy breathed out as he watched mesmerized by the many cars of the monorail.

"Come on Sammy." John prodded. "We'll ride that tomorrow." He scanned the now empty tracks and then led the way to Chef Mickey's.

The group was immediately seated and given menus filled with wonderful dishes. After some careful consideration, they all ordered different meals. Their eyes almost popped out of the heads when their supper arrived. There was enough food to feed a small army! The family quickly dug into their meals and was full long before the food was gone.

From there they went back to the room where the boys spent the remainder of the evening staring at the map and planning their next day's adventures. John sent the boys to get their baths and get in bed at 9:00 and by 10:00 both rooms were silent except for the occasional snore.

The next morning

After eating breakfast at the biggest buffet Dean had ever been to, the group rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Disembarking from the train they walked down the slope to the turnstiles where they presented their tickets. They quickly walked through the tunnel and came out onto Main Street gasping at the most wonderful sight; Cinderella's castle standing tall and proud in the distance. They hurried to the end of the street and after some discussion decided to start on the left of the park and make their way around the hub.

Their first stop was the tree house from Swiss Family Robinson. Sammy excitedly pointed out every part of the house from the water system to the organ.

They then went to the Jungle Cruise. But after an attendant informed them that a cap gun was used at one part, the men decided to move on and try a different ride.

They talked John and Bobby into riding the rollercoaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland before moving on to Fantasyland.

Sammy and John rode Peter Pan's Flight while Dean patiently waited outside. From there both boys rode the carousel waving at their dad as they went past.

Pastor Jim happily watched as Sammy slowly reverted back to the exuberate child he used to know. As they passed a small shop he noted that the youngest Winchester stopped briefly and stared in the window. He had noticed Sammy doing that several times over the course of the morning. Intrigued he went up to the window and quickly found what the youngster was so interested in. Smiling he decided it was time to bring Sammy back the rest of the way. "Hold up a minute guys." he called as he sat on a bench. "Sammy, I know there's something you would like in that store. Right?"

Sammy glanced up at John before shyly nodding his head.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal." Jim offered pulling out a twenty dollar bill. "You can have that toy if you go in the store and buy it all by yourself. Deal?"

Sammy looked from the store to Jim and back. He hesitantly reached over and took the money from Jim. "Okay" he said. "I'll do it."

"Good boy" Pastor Jim praised. He crossed his fingers and watched as Sammy made his way to the shop and disappeared inside.

Sammy walked into the shop and looked around for the stuffed Eeyore he had seen in the window. Spotting a huge round bin he grinned and raced over to get one. Tripping over his shoelace he grabbed on to the side of the bin to keep from falling. Once he had his balance again he glanced down at the mess he'd accidently made. Stuffed animals littered the floor around his feet. Dropping to his knees Sammy began to pick the toys up only to stop when a pair of shoes came into view.

"Look what you've done!" the saleslady shouted. "I just finished fixing them. How could you!?"

"I'm sorry ma'am." Sammy apologized as he slowly looked up. "I didn't mean…"his apology suddenly stopped as his mouth dropped open in shock. "Mrs. Horton!?"

Bet you didn't see that coming! See you next week! 


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. Walt Disney World and all its characters belong to the Disney Corporation. (I think) I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"I'm sorry ma'am." Sammy apologized as he slowly looked up. "I didn't mean…"his apology suddenly stopped as his mouth dropped open in shock. "Mrs. Horton!?"

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"Well, well, well, if it isn't Samuel Winchester; the little brat that ruined my teaching career." Mrs. Horton snarled. "What are you doing here? Didn't think white trash like you could afford to come to a nice place like this."

Dropping the animals in his hands Sammy angrily shook his head. "I didn't…I'm, I'm not" he stammered flinching at the murderous gaze being leveled at him.

"You were a trouble maker right from the start. Mr. Bonner and everyone else were just too dumb to see it. And from the look of things you haven't changed one bit." Mrs. Horton declared waving her hand at the animals lying scattered about. Leaning down she looked Sammy straight in the eye. "Mr. Bonner may have stopped me from taking care of you last time, but there's no one here to prevent me from giving you exactly what you deserve now." She threatened as she grabbed Sammy's wrist and roughly yanked him to his feet.

"Debra, stop! Think about what you're doing!" a young man called from the other side of the store.

"Don't worry, Rick. I'm only doing what needed to be done a long time ago." Mrs. Horton assured him with a smile. Turning back to Sammy she smirked. "Come on boy. Time you learned what happens to bad little boys." She growled as she tightened her grip on his wrist.

Sammy stood trembling as memories of his first day of school flashed through his mind mixed with the recent memories of Amy's final moments. When he was brought out of his little walk down memory lane by a harsh tug on his arm, Sammy didn't think, he just reacted. Twisting his hand around he grabbed Mrs. Horton's wrist and pulled her toward him before delivering a roundhouse kick to her stomach. Now free of her grasp, Sammy quickly spun around and kicked out connecting with the bent over woman's head. He then raced out of the store ignoring the shouts of the male employee.

Outside the store

"Maybe I should go check on him. You know, just to make sure he's alright." Dean offered as he continued to watch the store his little brother had entered minutes before.

"No Dean." John said. "Sammy needs to do this himself."

"But" Dean started.

"Your dad's right Dean." Jim stated interrupting the boy's rant. "If you want Sammy to be his old self, then you have to let him do some things on his own. Don't worry. Sammy will be just fine. You'll see."

"Yeah" Caleb agreed. "'Sides we're at Disney World. What could possibly happen here?"

Dean turned to stare wide eyed at his friend not quite believing what he just heard. Shaking his head at the grinning young hunter Dean glanced back at the store just as Sammy came flying out. "Dad!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran towards his brother. "Something's wrong!"

"You just had to say it!" Bobby growled at Caleb. Stomping past the younger man he swatted him upside the head. "Idjit." He mumbled as he hurried to catch up with the others.

John crossed the distance between himself and Sammy with lightning speed. Bending down he reached out and caught his youngest as the little boy jumped into his waiting arms. Pulling Sammy tightly against him John stood, walked over to the closest bench, and took a seat. Placing his chin on the top of his son's head he ran one hand through Sammy's unruly hair while he rubbed the boy's back with the other. "What happened Sammy?" he quietly asked.

Sammy wrapped his arms around his father and vehemently shook his head. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry."

"For what, Sammy?" Dean questioned as he sat down beside his dad.

Sammy just buried his head against his dad and shook his head refusing to look at anyone.

Bobby and the other hunters stood watching as Dean and John tried everything to coax Sammy into talking. But all their efforts proved fruitless as the little boy remained silent. Bobby was just about to walk over to the store to find out what had happened when he noticed an employee quickly walking their way. Nudging Josh with his elbow he nodded his head in the direction of the newest threat. Both men swiftly stepped in front of the small family and crossed their arms glaring at the young employee as he walked up. "What do you want?" Josh gruffly asked.

"I just wanted to make sure Sammy was alright." Rick replied. "And to give him his stuffed animal. He kind of left without it."

"Wait a minute! How do you know my son's name?" John called out glaring at the young fellow.

"Uh, it's on his badge, sir." Rick said pointing to the first time button.

"What happened in there son?" Pastor Jim asked as he walked up to stand next to Bobby.

"Well, I'm not sure how it started. I was in the back on a break. When I heard yelling, I came out to see what was going on. Sammy was kneeling on the floor by the toy bin with an armful of animals. He must have knocked them by accident." Rick explained. "Anyway, the other employee, Mrs. Horton, was screaming something about him ruining her life or something like that."

"Horton? Debra Horton?" Josh ground out scowling at the small shop.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Rick asked.

"Excuse me" Bobby and Josh both called as they began to stalk toward the store and Sammy's tormentor.

"NO!" Sammy shouted jumping out of John's lap. He ran over to his two uncles who had stopped at his shout. Grabbing their hands Sammy proceeded to pull them back to the bench whispering "Don't go."

Bobby and Josh allowed Sammy to lead them back to the bench. They sat down on either side of John and Dean smiling as John gently pulled Sammy into his lap.

Rick waited until the group had settled down once more before stepping closer to the bench. "Don't think you have to worry about Mrs. Horton anymore. Sammy here knocked her out cold." He said with a smirk.

"He did?" Dean asked glancing at his little brother in amazement.

"Yeah, you should have seen it. The kid was awesome! Mrs. Horton had him by the hand but Sammy twisted his arm and pulled her off balance! He kicked her right in the gut and then did this spin kick thing. Caught her in the head and she was out for the count!" Rick excited related. "It was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

"Way to go Sammy!" Dean cheered ruffling his brother's hair.

"What happens now?" Jim asked curiously.

"Oh, I called Mr. Taylor and told him what happened before I came out here. He should be arriving with security any minute." Rick informed them.

Sammy's head snapped up at the mention of security. His tearful eyes gazed up at John. "I'm sorry daddy. I didn't mean to be bad." He sobbed.

"Whoa, wait a minute there Sammy." Rick said as he kneeled down in front of the little boy. "You're not the one in trouble, sport."

"I'm not?" Sammy asked peering at the young man. "But, but"

"But nothing. The only person in trouble here is Mrs. Horton. She had no right to threaten you or grab your arm." Rick reassured.

Sammy looked skeptically at Rick. "You sure?"

"Positive." Rick replied. He held a small bag out to the little boy. "That reminds me. I believe this belongs to you."

Sammy slowly reached into the bag pulling out the stuffed Eeyore he had gone into the store to buy. Hugging it to his chest he gave Rick a small smile. "Thank you."

"Anytime dude." Rick said standing back up. "Hey Sammy, can I ask you one question before I go back to the store?"

Sammy glanced at Dean and his dad before answering. "Yeah, I guess." He timidly replied.

"Think you could teach me how to do those moves of yours?" Rick asked chopping the air with his hands eliciting a giggle from the little boy.

"Sure" Sammy got out between giggles.

"Cool!" Rick exclaimed as he headed for the store. "Catch you later little dude."

After a brief conversation with Mr. Taylor, the small family continued their trek around the park stopping every few minutes to ride the park's attractions.

By eight o'clock the entire group was worn out. Knowing that the fireworks show began at nine, John quickly led everyone to the exit and up the ramp to the monorail station.

"Evening sirs" the attendant Crystal called. "Hope you had a magical day at the park."

"That we did" Jim told her as he leaned against the metal fence. "This is a wonderful place for children."

"Thank you sir. The monorail to your resort should be here shortly." Crystal said. Spotting Sammy's badge she leaned down and smiled at the little boy. "Hey there Sammy, are you having a good time?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." Sammy enthusiastically answered. "Disney is awesome!"

"I think so too." Crystal agreed. "And I know something that would make it even better."

"What?" Sammy and Dean eagerly asked.

"How would you like to ride in the very front of the monorail with the pilot?" Crystal offered with a sparkle in her eye.

"Could we?" Sammy breathed out. "Really?"

"Sure, just follow me." Crystal said leading the group to a gated spot at the end of the station. "Just wait here and the pilot will let you in when he gets here. There's just one small problem. I'm afraid there's only room for four of you."

"That's alright." Jim told her. "John, Bobby and the boys can ride up front. The rest of us will be fine in the next car."

Jim, Josh, and Caleb said their goodbyes and followed the young lady back to the regular waiting area laughing as they watched Sammy and Dean practically bouncing with excitement.

Sammy's eyes lit up when the monorail finally pulled into the station minutes later. He fidgeted as he waited for the crowd to disembark. Once all the passengers were off, the pilot opened the door and ushered the group inside the front. Sammy and Dean immediately rushed to the huge windshield and looked out in amazement. They spent several minutes just staring out at the park and their hotel. Hearing the door shut they walked over and sat on the small benches on either side of the cabin.

Don smiled as he watched the two excited boys. Hearing the door shut he made his way to his seat and turned to the boys. "Sammy would you like to sit up here with me and help me drive?" he asked.

"Yes sir!" Sammy shouted running up to the pilot. He carefully climbed into the man's lap and gazed at the small console in front of them. "Where's the steering wheel?" he asked.

"Right here." The pilot said pointing to a lever in the middle of the console. Seeing the green light he grasped the lever and gently pulled it back setting the monorail in motion. Once out of the station he pulled the lever all the way back causing the monorail to pick up speed. "See, that's all there is to it. Pull back to go and push up to stop."

"Cool" Sammy said as he watched the scenery fly by.

Coming up to the hotel Don began to slow the monorail down. "How about tapping the horn button? It's the one on the bottom." He told Sammy.

Sammy carefully pushed the button to one side a couple of times making the horn blare out a warning. He started as the pilot took his hand placing it on the big lever. "Look Dean, I'm driving." He called out.

Don placed his hand on top of Sammy's and helped the little boy slowly push the lever back up stopping the monorail. He expertly pulled and pushed on the lever until the monorail was in the correct position for the passengers to exit. Setting Sammy down Don walked over and opened the door. "Thanks for all your help, Sammy." He said reaching into his jacket pocket. He handed everyone a card before ushering them out the door. "Have a good night guys." He called.

Sammy raced up to Josh and the others who were patiently waiting for them by the elevators. "Uncle Josh! Look what the pilot gave us!" he shouted waving his card at the men. "It's a co-pilot license for the monorail!"

"Great champ." Josh said as he examined the card. "Does this mean you got to drive?"

"Yeah, I drove into the hotel!" Sammy proudly stated. "And I even got to blow the horn!"

"That's wonderful Sammy." Jim said patting the little boy's head. "What do you say we head up to the room to bed? It's been a long day."

"Aww do we have to?" both boys whined.

"Yes, you do." John answered as he walked his boys into the elevator. He listened as Sammy and Dean explained the monorail ride in detail to the other hunters as they rode the elevator to their floor. Stepping off he quickly steered the boys to their room and sent them to get their pajamas and take a shower. After the boys left the room, John fell into the nearest chair. "That was some day, huh, Bobby?"

"Yeah" Bobby agreed from his spot on the couch. "Never thought we'd run into that witch Horton again. And here of all places. What's gonna happen to her anyway?"

John shrugged. "Don't know. Mr. Taylor promised to let me know what the company decides."

"Whatever it is won't be enough for that old hag." Bobby huffed setting his cap on the table in front of him. He stretched out enjoying the quiet after the long noisy day. Wait, quiet? Bobby quickly sat back up. "Hey Johnny, didn't you send the boys to take their showers?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" John yawned.

"'Cause I don't hear the boys or the water running." Bobby replied standing and heading for the boys' bedroom with John hot on his heels. Bobby threw the boys' door open and raced inside stopping in his tracks. He smiled as he gazed at the sleeping boys. Seeing John walk over to Dean's bed Bobby quietly went over to Sammy. He carefully took the young boy's shoes off before slowly pulling the blankets out from under the youngster. He picked Eeyore up off the floor and set it next to Sammy and then covered the youngest Winchester up. "Night Sammy" he whispered as he brushed a stray hair out of the little boy's face. Straightening back up he tiptoed out the door and walked the short distance to the couch. He pulled out the sofa bed and flopped back on it exhausted. Closing his eyes he let sleep claim him wondering what the next day held for his family.

AN- Just to set things straight. Yes, you can ride in the front of the monorail with the pilot. But no you can't help drive. Oh and you do get a co-pilot card from the pilot. That was the most fun I've ever had researching. Can't wait to go back!


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. Walt Disney World and all its characters belong to the Disney Corporation. (I think) I own nothing.

We finally made it to the last chapter of the story. A big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this monster of a story. You guys are the best!

RedDragen, I hope this is what you wanted.

Previously on Supernatural- Closing his eyes he let sleep claim him wondering what the next day held for his family.

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"Where are we going today, dad?" Sammy asked excitedly. "Can we go ride the roller coaster again?"

"Maybe later Sammy." John replied opening the door and walking into the hall. "We're headed to Epcot first. Mr. Taylor made breakfast reservations for us at the Garden Grill restaurant."

"Better not be rabbit food." Dean mumbled as he followed his dad and brother to the elevator where the others were waiting. Once everyone was inside Dean pushed the button for the fourth floor and leaned back against the wall.

Sammy jumped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He raced over to the monorail platform and approached the employee standing at the gate. "Can we ride in the front with the pilot?" he asked. "My brother didn't get a chance to drive last night."

Alan looked over at the gated off section of the monorail before smiling down at the little boy. "Sure can kiddo. You're the first one to ask this morning." He said. "So who's riding with you?"

"Sammy, how about letting Josh and Caleb ride with you this time?" John asked. "I'll ride in the second car with Bobby and Jim."

"Okay dad." Sammy agreed grabbing Josh's hand. He led the small group to the front section just as the monorail pulled in. He waited and watched as a few people got out on the other side of the vehicle. Once the doors on their side opened he bounced inside taking a seat right next to the windshield. Noticing that they had a different pilot Sammy almost lost his nerve to ask the favor. But seeing the excitement in his big brother's face he squared his shoulders and bravely asked, "Can my brother help you drive to Epcot?"

Pete was about to say no when he spied Sammy's badge. "Of course he can, kiddo." He replied turning to Dean. "Come on up here son."

Dean hesitantly walked over to the pilot and stood behind the console. He listened and followed the pilot's instructions to the letter. Dean and Pete smoothly drove the monorail out of the hotel and all the way to Epcot. "Thanks, Pete!" Dean said as they came to a stop. "That was awesome!"

"Glad you enjoyed it. Have a great day at the park boys." Pete told them handing the group another card.

"Bye Pete." Dean and Sammy called as they headed down the ramp to the park.

The family of hunters went through the turnstiles and into Epcot. After stopping to get directions to the restaurant, John led the group past the enormous geosphere before turning right and going into a huge building called The Land. Following the signs he walked up the stairs and around coming to a stop at the entrance to The Garden Grill.

Bobby stared at the place in shock. "Uh, Johnny, the restaurant's moving." He pointed out.

Dean and Sammy watched as the whole restaurant slowly rotated. Exchanging matching grins they ran over and stepped on the moving platform. "Come on guys! Let's eat!" they called waving the others over.

"You heard'em boys. Get a move on!" John called over his shoulder as he quickly made his way to his sons. A few minutes later they were seated in booths in the middle of the restaurant and drink orders were taken. Settling back in their seats John and the other hunters enjoyed watching the varying scenes on the walls and listening to the boys plan their day's adventures.

Dean's eyes almost popped out of his head when pan after pan of eggs, bacon, ham, hash browns and other breakfast foods were delivered to their tables. Filling his plate with a little of everything he began shoveling spoonfuls of the delicious foods into his mouth not caring that his mouth was open.

"Ewww, Dean! That's gross!" Sammy cried dropping his gaze to the giant strawberry in his hand. He took small bites of the fruit relishing the taste of the sweet berry. After popping the last piece into his mouth, he reached over and plucked two more out of the bowl in front of him.

Half an hour and several full stomachs later the small group emerged from The Land and set about exploring Epcot. They rode through The Living Seas getting off at the Observation Deck where the boys raced from one side of the aquarium to the other pointing out all the different marine animals. From there they saw the dinosaurs in The Universe of Energy ride and rode through time inside the geosphere called Spaceship Earth.

By noon they had pretty much tired of the park wanting to go on some faster rides. Deciding to change parks they exited Epcot stopping to ask the attendant if the monorail went to the MGM Studios Park.

"I'm sorry sir." The park attendant said. "It only goes to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. But you can catch one of the Disney buses. Go left and follow the signs that say Disney transportation. There will be a big board that tells which stop you need to wait at to get to MGM. It shouldn't be a long wait. The buses come every twenty minutes."

John led the way to the bus stop for MGM and minutes later they were sitting on the bus. The men leaned back and rested knowing once they got to the park there would be no stopping for a while. But all too soon the bus pulled to a stop at MGM and the group filed off and walked the short distance to the entrance.

Grabbing a park map Dean and Sammy walked ahead happily pointing out things they wanted to see and do. Spotting the theater the boys raced each other to the door. "Hurry up dad!" they shouted. "This way!"

John and company caught up and made their way through the maze of ropes to the door of The Great Movie Ride. After hearing that gun shots were heard and a pop gun was used by the driver, John was ready to turn around and find another ride. But Sammy and Dean's pleading along with the use of both boys puppy eyes had him giving in. He kept an arm around Sammy the entire ride and was overjoyed when his youngest didn't react to the loud noises at all.

From there the group headed to the Muppet's 3D movie and then rode Star Tours which the boys decided to ride twice more before moving on. As they walked down the street looking for another ride Dean saw a sign for The Sci-Fi Diner and couldn't resist stopping his family for a late lunch. Walking into the building they weren't impressed with the waiting area décor of wooden walls and beams. That changed however when a waitress escorted them into the dining area.

Dean and Sammy stopped and stared around astonished at the sight before them. It looked like they were standing at a drive in movie at night. Rows and rows of convertibles sat facing a movie screen. "Cool!" they hollered following their waitress to their cars. Sliding into the front seat of a blue car Dean looked down and was slightly disappointed to see a table instead of a dashboard. Glancing up at the movie he watched the credits for different monster movies chuckling at some of the outlandish costumes.

After a leisurely lunch, they made their way to the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Snagging front seats they settled back to watch the show with Sammy tucked safely between John and Caleb. They watched cheering as Indy evaded spears and a giant rolling ball. When the host came out asking for volunteers Dean and Sammy eagerly pointed at Caleb who was immediately called.

"This isn't funny, boys." Caleb whispered as he stood and started for the front. What'd I ever do to you?"

"Do paints ring any bells for ya?" Sammy asked with a grin.

"But that was years ago!" Caleb protested.

"You know what they say Caleb." Dean smirked. "Payback's a bitch."

Shaking his head Caleb trudged up to the host. Plastering on a smile he answered the questions thrown at him and did what he was told.

Dean and Sammy almost rolled off their seats laughing as the host made Caleb stand on one leg with his arms straight out. They both knew he'd get them back for this but right then it didn't matter.

The small group spent the rest of that day and the days that followed enjoying all the rides and shows the parks had to offer. Before they knew it they awoke to the last day at the parks. Dressing quickly they headed to their favorite breakfast spot, Chef Mickey's. As they got off the elevator they saw Mr. Taylor waiting for them.

"Morning, Mr. Taylor." John greeted.

"Morning John" Mr. Taylor replied. "Since it's your last day, I thought I'd ask Sammy if there's anything he'd really like to do before you have to leave. What do you say, Sammy? Anything special you'd like to do today?"

Sammy thought for several minutes before smiling and walking up to whisper something in Mr. Taylor's ear.

Mr. Taylor glanced at the group in front of him and then looked back at the youngest Winchester. "You sure, Sammy?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Sammy replied with a grin.

"Okay, I'll set it up." Mr. Taylor said patting Sammy's shoulder. "Meet me in front of the castle at ten o'clock and I'll have everything ready. Okay?"

"We'll be there." John assured as he glanced from Sammy to Mr. Taylor wondering what his youngest had cooked up this time.

"Alright. See you then." Mr. Taylor stated as he started for the monorail. He waved before stepping onto the vehicle and disappearing inside.

Dean pestered Sammy all morning trying to get his secret out of the youngster. But Sammy didn't crack. He walked around with his family anxiously waiting for ten o'clock and his surprise.

At ten o'clock sharp the group was nervously standing in front of the castle. Sammy was the first to see Mr. Taylor and several others strolling toward them. He clamped a hand over his mouth to stop a giggle from escaping as his family stared at the newcomers in apprehension. Spotting his favorite character in the group he ran over and threw his arms around the sad donkey named Eeyore.

Mr. Taylor and Eeyore each took one of Sammy's hands and led him back to his family. "Surprise!" Mr. Taylor shouted smiling at the comical looks on the men's faces. Turning to the youngest Winchester he said, "Okay Sammy you tell everyone where to stand for the picture."

Sammy surveyed the group carefully before moving people and characters into position. Taking his dad's hand Sammy placed him in the middle with Dean standing in front of him. He then positioned Mickey and Minnie on either side of John and Donald beside his big brother. After they were set, he quickly positioned the other hunters, Goofy, and Pluto. The last thing he did was place himself beside Dean with Eeyore next to him. Seeing the camera man poised to take the picture he cried, "Wait! We forgot the hats!"

"Here you go Sammy." Mr. Taylor said passing out Mickey ear hats to the group making sure everyone got the hat with their name stitched on it. Stepping back to the camera he looked over the group and laughed. They looked like they were sucking lemons. "Okay, on the count of three, smile. This one's for Sammy."

The camera man counted to three and quickly snapped the picture. He took several shots wanting to make sure they got the best picture possible.

The characters spent a few minutes with the boys before waving good bye and walking back to their assigned posts.

"That was the perfect way to end the trip, Sammy." Mr. Taylor praised. "I'll bring you the picture tonight. For now, go back to riding and enjoying your day."

"Thanks, Mr. Taylor." Sammy said hugging the man before turning and racing Dean to the castle. They ran through the castle and headed for the rides. The group stayed in the park riding their favorites. They even watched the night time parade and the fireworks. Knowing it was now time for the park to close they reluctantly made their way to the monorail for one last ride.

Just as he promised Mr. Taylor brought the pictures to Sammy laughing along with the boy when he discovered that Minnie was kissing his dad in the photo. He stayed and talked with John and Bobby for a while and then said his goodbyes and left.

The next morning the group ate a quick breakfast at Chef Mickey's before packing the cars and returning home. Once home John and the boys brought their bags in and plopped down on the couch. Deciding that the time was right John told the boys his news. "Guys, since we're already mostly packed, we'll head out after lunch." Seeing Dean and Sammy about to protest he held up a hand for silence. "I thought you might like to stay at Bobby's for the summer. He's got some work I can do for him, and I know there's a little dog that would love to have her playmate back. What do you say? You two ready to hit the road?"

"The whole summer? Really?" Sammy questioned hope shining in his eyes.

"You bet, champ." John replied. "Think you can stand that?"

"Yea!" Sammy hollered. "We're going to see Muffie!"

"Why don't you two go pack the rest of your things and then we'll eat lunch." John suggested.

"Okay" Sammy and Dean yelled as they ran down the hall to their bedroom.

John peeled himself off the couch and headed into the kitchen to make sandwiches for lunch. He'd packed before they had even gone to Disney but the boys didn't need to know that.

Half an hour later the boys raced into the living room, tossed their bags on the couch, and then walked into the kitchen. Sammy walked over and sat by his dad. Holding up a book he said, "I need to take this back to Mr. John before we go, dad."

"You can go after lunch Sammy." John informed him as he poured milk for both boys.

Eager to get on the road Dean and Sammy gulped down their lunch in record time. "Bye dad!" they called as they ran out the door. They ran all the way to Mr. John's door. Standing on the porch they took a minute to catch their breath before knocking on the door. They smiled as they waited for their friend to come to the door. That smile faded a little when a woman opened the door instead.

"Hello there boys." The lady greeted. "Can I help you two?"

"Umm, yes ma'am" Sammy said shifting from foot to foot nervously. "We're leaving today and I just wanted to tell Mr. John good bye and give him his book before I go."

The older woman glanced sadly at the boys. "Honey, Johnny isn't here. He died last summer."

Sammy sucked in a breath at the news. "No, he couldn't have. We saw him last week. He taught me to play the piano and he let me borrow this book." He said.

Seeing the boy's distress at the news the lady's face softened. "Sweet heart no one was here last week. I was at my daughter's house." She told them.

"Yes, he was." Sammy insisted, "And I can prove it." He squeezed past her and walked into the living room. "He sat right here by the piano and taught me this." He said as he placed his hands on the keyboard and played "Danny Boy". Finishing he ran over to the chest before Dean could grab him and pulled it open. "Mr. John got the book from right here." He said pointing in the chest.

Spotting something Mr. John's wife walked over and leaned down pulling a red rose out of the chest. "Oh my." She exclaimed staring at the rose. "Johnny brought me roses when he proposed. And after we married, he always gave me roses on our anniversary. Our fifth anniversary would have been today."

"Sammy, I think we should go." Dean stated nervously glancing around the room.

"But, but" Sammy stammered as tears began rolling down his cheeks.

"C'mon Sammy." Dean ordered tugging on his little brother's hand. "Sorry we bothered you ma'am." He whispered as he pulled Sammy down the hall and out the door. He wrapped one arm around his little brother as he led him back to their home still trying to make sense of things. Shoving their front door opened he walked in and sat Sammy on the couch as he hollered for his dad.

"What's wrong, Dean?" John asked as he came into the room with Bobby and the others behind him.

Sammy ran over to his dad and threw his arms around him. "She said Mr. John's, that Mr. John's dead. But he can't be 'cause I saw him last week." Sammy babbled through his sobs.

"What's he talking about Dean?" John quietly asked as he picked up his youngest.

"We went to Mr. John's to return the book. But his wife answered the door and she said that Mr. John died last summer." Dean explained.

"Shit!" Bobby exclaimed pulling his cap off and hitting it against his leg. "How did I miss that?"

"Miss what?" Sammy asked looking up at his uncle.

"Oh, uh," Bobby stuttered, "I meant how did I miss telling you that Mr. John died while we were at Disney."

"But his wife said" Sammy began.

"She's just upset and not thinking straight son." John interrupted.

Sammy watched as the men and Dean exchanged worried glances. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"Nothing, Sammy" John assured him with a smile. "Now come on. Let's go. Muffin's wanting for you."

Sammy scrutinized his dad's and all the other men's faces. He knew there was something they weren't telling him and he was determined to find out what.

AN- Dedicated to my dear friend Mr. John (better known as Johnny) who died a few months ago.


End file.
